#but the Underworld especially was done so dirty

[shinobi98]

The Persephone and Hades' disrespect here. As if the whole Underworld isn't getting destroyed for Kim Dokja's sake right now.

[percervall]

fight so dirty but your love's so sweet

pairing: Fernando Alonso x fem!reader warnings: mafia!Nando, sexual harassment, smut, knife play, p in v, unprotected sex words: 1802

In which Fernando knows you like the back of his hand

---

You’re not even sure exactly why it is your husband and you need to show your faces at this event. Probably to keep up appearances to those in politics that your husband is an upstanding citizen and not in fact their worst nightmare running the Madrid underworld. As if the farce of this charity ball absolves him of any illegal activities. You can’t help but scoff into your glass of wine. You’re married to him and only know a fraction of what your husband gets up to, half of which would have the people in this room clutching their pearls. 

Finishing your wine, you look for a waiter so you can get a refill. Unfortunately for you, instead of another glass of wine, you find the displeasure of the company of Mr. Sergio Pérez, an undersecretary to the Minister of Finance. Hiding your disdain behind a saccharine smile, you listen to his poor attempt at flirting.

“So what do you say? Wanna ditch this boring event and skip to where you and I get to know each other.. Biblically?” 

“No thank you, my husband doesn’t like sharing what’s his,” you reply, hoping he gets the implied not interested. 

“Who says he needs to know?” 

God, this guy really doesn’t know when to stop, you think, your jaw hurting from where you’re clenching it.

“Trust me, Mr Alonso would know.” 

“I don’t see that chihuahua of a guard dog anywhere,” he says with all the bravado of a man two whiskeys too deep to know what’s good for him. You fight the urge to smile when you see his eyes widen and feel the press of lips against your temple and the fabric of his suit against your bare back.

“Oh, you wish he were just a chihuahua when he’s done with you,” you respond with a wicked smile, resting a hand on top of the one Fernando has now wrapped around your waist. Without a moment’s hesitation, two men dressed in black appear and grab the undersecretary by the arm. Something tells you it’s hard enough to at the very least bruise by the way the man’s face contorts as they walk him out. Fernando spins you in his arms so you’re facing him, eyes scanning yours to make sure the only harm done was having to listen to the absolute garbage coming out of Mr. Pérez’ mouth. He pushes a strap of your dress back up your shoulder before taking your hand in his, pressing a gentle kiss to your knuckles. 

“He didn’t touch me, Nando,” you say quietly, watching your husband intently. The Spaniard’s eyes flash at the mention of him. 

“Let’s go home, princessa,” he replies and you wordlessly nod, letting him pull you outside. 

Fernando keeps a hand on your thigh through the entire drive home, the heat of his skin making your breath hitch. Judging by the way the corner of his lips twitches up in a smile, he’s well aware of the effect he has on you. Once you get home, he helps you out of the car –ever the gentleman, even though you know this will be the last courteous act for the night. Thanking the young guard at the door, you step inside and place your clutch bag on the console table before moving into the living room. Fernando is hot on your heels and something tells you he instructed the guards to make sure no one disturbs you for the rest of the night. You turn to face him, letting your eyes roam freely. Fernando always looks good, but something about him in a well-fitting suit without a tie just hits different, especially with that back tattoo hidden underneath it all; he plays the part of upper class and respectable brilliantly yet the samurai on his back serves as a reminder that he will do whatever’s necessary to protect his honour.

As your eyes move up to his face, you see the way his eyes have darkened. Biting your lip to stop yourself from smiling, you move back as Fernando moves to close the distance between you. Back hitting the wall, you press your palms against it as you arch up to look at him.  

“I thought you were going to stop killing politicians,” you chide, squeezing your thighs shut at the wicked glint in his eyes. He brushes a knuckle over your cheekbone, making your eyes flutter closed.

“I think I’m doing María a favour by getting rid of him, let alone his wife. The asshole should know better than to ignore a woman’s no,” he says as he slides a hand up the slit of your dress. You can feel his fingers brush against the lace garter and you can’t help but gasp.

“Oh princessa, so naughty hm? Chastising me for getting rid of a problem when we both know you would’ve had him on the floor begging for mercy just as much,” Fernando murmurs and slowly pulls the dainty little dagger free from its holster on the inside of your thigh. Having his fingers so close to where you need him most leaves you breathless.

“A girl’s gotta be able to defend herself,” you offer as an explanation.

“Oh, I agree darling but I also know just how much you love it when I do this,” Fernando says and runs the blade across your collarbone before sliding it under the strap of your dress. The fabric easily yields to the blade and Fernando’s smile widens when you whimper as he slides it under the other strap to cut you out of your dress. The burgundy fabric rustles as it falls to the floor where it pools around your heels, leaving you in nothing but a thong. It wasn’t even one of the sexy pairs, needing to opt for the black seamless ones to have no lines visible underneath your dress. Which is also why you’re not wearing a bra. 

“Very naughty I see,” Fernando murmurs. You gasp when you feel the cool steel of the blade against your hip where it slides under the thin material. The edge of the blade digs into your skin a little as it cuts through the fabric and you can’t help but whimper at the feeling. What’s left of it slides down your legs to join the ruined fabric already on the floor. Fernando moves the dagger again, the tip now tilting your face up. Eyes struggling to remain open, you’re taken aback by just how open Fernando’s affection for you is on his face. Here’s the thing about your marriage with him: he might be the most ruthless, the most cunning man you know, but he would never hurt you –not even when you literally hand him a weapon as delicate as your heart. 

“Love seeing you like this,” Fernando all but whispers, “so beautiful when you let me do this to you.” He presses a kiss against your lips and you all but melt into him.

“Mi vida, mi alma, mi sol, all I do is for you,” Fernando whispers in the space between your faces.

“I love you,” you say on an exhale as his fingers dance over your skin. Fernando hums in response, cradling your face in his hands as he dips down to kiss you once more. Still holding onto you, he walks the two of you backwards while making sure you don’t trip and fall over the discarded clothing. Breaking the kiss, he spins you around. His hand glides up your back to your neck before he tightens his hold on you, and pushes you forward so you’re leaning over the back of the couch. You can hear the clink of metal as he unbuckles his belt, the sound of leather getting pulled free from fabric sending a jolt to your already throbbing clit. Fingers digging into the cushions, you slide your feet further apart as you try to prepare yourself for what’s to come. Fernando chuckles darkly. “So needy, princessa. Want to be filled, hm?” 

“Y-yes, please..” you sigh, arching your back. It’s no longer a want, it’s a need. Your body aches to have him inside of you. 

“So wet for me, my devious girl. Look at you,” he coos as he so very slowly sinks himself into you. The stretch has you panting, fingers scrambling to keep yourself upright. Fernando groans as you clench around him. He presses two fingers against your clit, rubbing gently back and forth.

“Think you can cum like this?” he asks and all you can do is whine an uh-hu in response. Fernando begins to rub in circles, knowing just how you like it, and that in combination with the weight of him inside of you is enough to hurtle you towards your climax. It washes over you, legs trembling while you try to remain standing. Fernando groans and curses as you clench around him in waves, bucking his hips into you. Pushing back against him, you wordlessly tell him that you need him to move. Fernando lets go of your neck, dropping the dagger onto the tile floor, and moves both hands to your hips. His fingers dig into your skin as he fucks into you, slow at first but quickly picking up the pace as he uses your for his own pleasure. You’re incapable of forming any coherent thoughts as he hits that spot inside of you, your entire body wired to chase the high that’s threatening to consume you whole. Resting your forehead on your arm, you move your right hand down to messily circle your clit.

“Need you to cum for me, princessa,” Fernando pants, his restraint wearing precariously thin with each thrust. You whimper and whine in response, before crying out as your second orgasm hits you like a tidal wave. Fernando curses and tightens his grip on you as he fucks you through it, prolonging your orgasm. For a brief moment you wonder just how much more you can take before it does indeed pull you under. Fernando sinks into you once more, moaning as he spills deep inside of you. The two of you remain like that for a moment to allow you both time to come down from that high. Fernando slowly pulls out and you can feel his cum begin to drip down your inner thigh. Reaching a hand down, you swipe it away and bring your fingers up to your lips to lick them clean. Fernando curses behind you and before you know what’s happening, he picks you up as if you weigh nothing. Wrapping an arm around his neck, you rest your cheek against his shoulder. You know he will take care of you, always, and that thought fills you with more love than you have words to express. 

Inspired by this gif

This fic wouldn't exist without @feralnando and @ruledbyproblematique, biggest thank you to you both 🥰

Please feel free to let me know what you think! Your comments, tags, and likes mean the world to me 💜

[flying-womrats]

replacements for a few LMS mods

If you think you saw this post yesterday, yes you did- then I made a couple edits and realized I should have done it under a readmore in case people reblogged it... So here we go again! These are the possible replacements I found for the littlemssam mods I was using, in case they help anyone else.

Caveats: - Often not a 1:1 replacement. - I only went looking for replacements for mods I was actually using, so this only covers a fraction of her catalog. - Most of these modders still use Curseforge, they're just not exclusive to it.

Additionally, if anyone knows of a replacement for any of the following: Go For A Walk, Improved Meditation Stool, Improved Practical Spells (the improvements to the spells themselves,) No Random Job Offers (I know BosseladyTV has one, but it's CF exclusive,) Purchased Items Delivered By Mail, Release All The Ghosts, or Tea For Children, please drop me an ask! I only request no Curseforge exclusives and no Zer0.

On to the list:

Allow Stoves in University Housing -> Zerbu, No University Housing Restrictions

Auto Employees -> Kuttoe's "X Everywhere" mods, Zerbu's Spawn Refresh

Auto-Light Fireplaces Only When Cold -> Bienchen, fireplaceautonomytweak

Buy Treats via PC -> Bienchen, buypettreat

Calendar Tweaks -> Kuttoe, Less Frequent Prom (caveat: takes time to start working, especially if you're using a longer season setting)

Cookbooks -> ClaudiaSharon, Cook Experimental/Cultural/Jungle Food Without Tasting It First

Immortality Potion Fix -> Kuttoe, Potions Rework (only a half replacement- removes the VFX, but doesn't lock aging like the Scarlet/LMS mod)

Kids Can Walk Dogs -> ChippedSim, Paws & Claws (A Sim's Best Friend module)

More Away Actions -> Bienchen, awayactions (is actually included in the LMS mod)

No Burning Sun in Forgotten Hollow -> TwistedMexi, Daywalkers + Underworlds (caveat: per TMex's comment on the latter, the eternal night is only cosmetic and still requires Daywalkers for vampires to come out at "daytime". Also, Daywalkers affects all worlds. Still interested in a mod closer to LMS's if one exists!)

No Insects Herbalism -> Simularity, Improved Herbalism Potions & Features

No Shoe Sign Animation -> Lotharihoe, Shoe Sign Animation Tweaks (doesn't remove the animation entirely but does stop it from interrupting walking)

No Sick, Dirty, Sad and Hungry Pets -> Bienchen, catanddogsanity

Pregnancy Overhaul ("sims can do more" part) -> Bienchen, pregnantsimscandomore

Pregnancy Overhaul (belly sizes) -> t0nischwartz, No Bump or sonozakisisterssims4, "The belly in pregnancy depends on the number of babies" (the former is simpler but has no equivalent to the "larger belly" option, the latter has a bit more going on but has direct equivalents to LMS's sizes, so take your pick!)

Sleep All Night and Sleep In -> Midnitetech- Stay Asleep, Mokunoid- Better Sleep Autonomy or Lot 51- Sunrise depending on desired depth/customization

Social Activities -> adeepindigo, Youth, Friends and Family Activities

Small GF Reactions Overhaul -> Bienchen, lesscelebreact

Small Laundry Overhaul -> Bienchen's laundry mods cover some (but not all- anyone have something to make it cost money on community lots?) of it, along with Lotharihoe's No Autonomously Set Laundry Down to replace the "auto put away laundry" part.

Spar With For Everyone -> Bienchen, sparwithfornonmilitary

Toddler Ask For Food No Junk -> Bienchen, healthyhighchair (not quite the same thing but it solves the "why do they always give the kid chips" issue at least)

WEE: Working Elevators Everywhere -> Ravasheen, Uplifting Elevators (space and wall height permitting, it's also possible to make no-CC elevators with the RoM debug portals!)

Wellness Treat Fix -> Bienchen, petanxiousbufffix

Also, while I wasn't using either of them myself, Meet&Mingle can replace SimDa Dating App, and Lovestruck adds a "canon" dating app (though given EA's complete lack of attention to QA etc. I wouldn't recommend paying for it.)

edit 6/26/24: added Sunrise, petanxiousbufffix, pregnantsimscandomore

edit 6/27/24: added No Bump, moved into a new post.

edit 6/29/24: added Daywalkers, No University Housing Restrictions (ty @northernnightsky!) and the sonozakisisters bump mod

edit 7/2/24: added Underworlds (ty anon), Paws & Claws, and a link to the tutorial I followed for no-CC elevators

edit 8/22/24: added Spawn Refresh

[makingspiritualityreal]

Why Nakshatra Castes Don't Correspond to Levels of Success

Nakshatra Castes, unlike what you might think, are not strictly about money or status or levels of success. They’re about visibility. Nakshatra gaze (upwards, downwards, sideways) is more about interest in status itself, and wealth is something very individual to one’s chart and karma. Life is complex and some people who you might think are really wealthy have hidden debts, while many invisible people are very well off.

To imagine how this works, you need to picture an ancient society, an ancient town structure. They were mostly built on hills for defensive purposes, with castles being on the very top of the hill. Since there was no TV or internet, often what was happening at the top was a source of entertainment for the masses. That is especially visible, as non of the Brahmin Nakshatras are upwards (often born or growing into a certain status). But they are all ones that perform activities in front of the masses. And some of those tendencies have survived in our societies.

The prime example is Purva Phalguni and Purva Ashadha being such huge Nakshatras for creativity. They are still “on display” being watched by the masses, even in our times. Purva Bhadrapada, especially in males, loves to put itself on top for the sake of displaying his wisdom and skill. Think of Robert De Niro, who picks roles where even if his character commits crimes secretly, he has quite a social presence. Purva Bhadrapada loves to be active in the community. And finally, Krittika, the ceremonial master, the ultimate priestly expression. Wild and untamed, but again very much on display.

In ancient towns, these would be the people that are talked about. The people whose identity and role would be common knowledge.

To contrast that scenario, think of Mleccha. You can’t say that they most definitely don’t have money or a certain power. But they perform activities that happen outside the town gates. They are the creatures of the underworld, as their talents are of a controversial nature. Does that mean they can’t have wealth or be popular in their own way? Of course not, especially since Shravana is an upwards Nakshatra. Everyone comes to the local Oracle in times of need, even if they don’t admit to it. But there is a certain quirkiness about them, where even though many people use their services, they don’t openly admit to it.

Think also of the butcher caste, that technically is so low in hierarchy, but has 2 upwards Nakshatras within. That is because these people often have an ancestral profession of doing dirty work that is very needed within society, and thus it brings them renown and success. Dirty work may not be done on display, but it is nevertheless a necessary part of daily life.

The difference between Shudra and Mleccha is that while Shudra is the lowest acceptable class, it still deals with needs that people are not ashamed to talk about openly even if it’s not a pleasurable subject. Mleccha is the things everyone does, needs and wants, but is ashamed to admit, so they repress it or do it in hiding. Attraction to the forbidden aspects of sexuality, the taboo, the occult. People do whatever they need to anyway, simply outside the town borders, outside of the social gaze. As a result, Mleccha natives achieve success as providers of these services.

[allgirlsareprincesses]

I'm so curious as to what your thoughts are on acomaf/Rhys. Personally, the reason the second book infuriated me was bc SJM completely shifted Tamlin's good traits onto Rhys, while erasing the fucked up things the latter did (like breaking Feyre's arm 😅), and thus clumsily erasing chances for interesting complex grey-morality characterizations for both characters. Also Feyre forgot about Tamlin so fast it almost made the first book seem useless lol. idk, I just liked Tamlin and feel he was done dirty with the weird lib-feminist makeover acomaf got. I did continue reading the series though. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable speaking about this, so feel free to ignore this ask. Have a lovely day 💖

Phew! So my issues with the series are NUMEROUS and some day I will go into all the reasons I quit ACOMAF 3/4 of the way through, but for now, let me sum up my problem by comparing it to another modern phenomenon: Frozen.

Like ACOTAR, I have many specific dislikes about the Frozen series, but my main problem with it is the way it cynically uses fairy tale motifs against the audience, but then still wants to claim it is a fairy tale. Frozen's setup gives the audience absolutely zero reason to doubt or distrust Hans (other than the arrival of Kristoff). In fact, Hans and Anna have one of the best insta-love songs from the Disney collection, and it galls me TO NO END that it's a trick, a lie. And then the rest of the movie repeatedly mocks the audience for believing in fairy tale love ("You can't marry a man you just met!"), as if to say everyone who has enjoyed Disney fairy tales up to this point is a sucker. Yet then it expects us to invest in the Anna-Kristoff romance after punishing us for the Anna-Hans one. And meanwhile, Kristoff is about as interesting as stale bread (sorry not sorry, it's true. I love you Jonathan Groff, it's not your fault sweetie.).

So anyway, back to ACOTAR. Book 1 is a straightforward Search For The Lost Husband. Taken on its own, it honestly rules as an example of this Cupid & Psyche tale type. It has the hunter-huntress motif, the jealous sisters, passage into the otherworld, hidden/cursed prince, supernatural helpers, three trials in the underworld, and even resurrection from death. It's literally perfect, other than Rhys marking her and just generally being creepy.

And then the next book PUNISHES the reader for enjoying that. HAHA you fool, you sucker, you got taken in by an abuser! Actually that whole book was a f*cking waste of time and a lie, and what Feyre really needs is this dude who's secretly perfect and who has all the aesthetics of a tormented prince but none of the actual psychological damage (like, say, Tamlin had). And who pursued Feyre not because of any natural affinity but because he knew she was his predetermined MATE (ew ew ew and I repeat EW). And who dictates every f*cking plot point and then magnanimously gives Feyre the OPTION of participating and we're all supposed to cheer because he says "It's your choice" before repeatedly using her and endangering her.

And to the extent that this is another Search For The Lost Husband, why would I want the same story told again, especially when the narrative wasted my time and mocked me for investing in the last romance? I just... really resent the author using those motifs without signaling sooner that she's going to deliberately undermine them (which can be done, in fairness, but it takes more skill than SJM has displayed).

So yeah, that's my issue. It really seems to come from this faux feminism that has a lot of antipathy toward traditional fairy tales, but doesn't know how to critique them without mocking the protagonist and audience alike.

[mk-wizard]

Top 15 Games that SHOULD get a 100% Reboot/Restart

Hi. I felt like doing something positive especially after my last post, so as a follow up, here is a list of games that I think should get the reboot treatment. And when I say reboot, I don’t just mean remake with fancier graphics and bonus features. I mean restart altogether with fresh new storylines that go their own way though in some specific cases, all they need is a new look. Note that this is my subjective opinion and nobody here has to agree with it. It’s just a fun suggestion.

1- Metal Gear - I don’t mean Metal Gear Solid, I mean Metal Gear in general. In fact, I think the “Solid” should be retconned entirely because it not only stopped being about Solid Snake who is the hero, he was done dirty with a pathetic ending and the only sequels we get now are prequels. Not to mention the constant drama and tragedy became nauseating. My advice is to restart from the beginning by rebooting the games that date back to the NES as are with better writing and then after that, only do a half-reboot of Metal Gear Solid and then go its own way while respecting Snake as a main character. Solid Snake is a staple in war themed games and set the standard of how we create them. He should REMAIN the main character and have his endings always remain open with him still standing with dignity.

2- Dino Crisis - I don’t think I need to say much here. Everyone is dying to see this game get remade and it’s not hard to see why. With the exception of the third game and the spin off, Dino Crisis 1 and 2 are amazing. They are dinosaur themed games that actually feel like survivor horror games and not like shooter games with the dinosaur gimmick. This series deserved a reboot and a third game that gives it proper closure.

3- Parasite Eve - Like Metal Gear, this series did dirty to its main character (Aya Brea) in such a way that they wrote themselves into a corner. Only the first game feels unique and special while the second and third instalments have an identity crisis, a confusing weapons and spell system, and a tank control that never belonged. Only the first game should stay as is with a simple remake and then, its sequels should actually be true sequels that keep the battle, spell and control system as are. Let’s just forget that PE2 and The Third Birthday ever happened.

4- Silent Hill - Let’s be honest. Harry Mason is the most underrated male protagonist in survivor horror because unlike all the others, he is not a man of action, not a badass and very relatable for it. He is a widower, a writer, a pacifist and one heck of a dad who literally jumped into the underworld to save his daughter. Now, while I like a lot of the sequels, this series lost its way. With the exception of Silent Hill 2, I think Harry and his daughter should have remained the main protagonists of the series. Harry is proof that real men come in all flavors and having one like him is different while still showing the best attributes of masculinity.

PS: I know Silent Hill 1 got a reboot, but it was bad. Period.

5- Turok - Before there was Dino Crisis (and I’m not discrediting it), there was Turok. The titular hero who might I also add is aboriginal which is a very underrepresented group in fiction period who literally kills dinosaurs with his bare hands. He is a badass and he while he has gotten reboots before, none of them hit the mark yet, but creators should not give up on him. He is worth the effort and if they keep trying, they will strike gold.

6- Castlevania - This series is ICONIC and nobody ever gets tired of it. It should make a comeback and it is one of the few series where being 3D would make it better. And considering that medieval settings in video games is all the rage now, it would be great to see Simon Belmont back in action. Heck, I would even be open to seeing a Belmont fighting evil in our modern times in 3D.

7- The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time - Now, I stand by that this series doesn’t need a reboot, I think this game specifically should get a remake because it is a great game that reshaped the series into how we know and love it now, but it was very buggy and the graphics were not that great even for their time. Everything else about it is great, but it does need a facelift.

8- Prototype - A forgotten gem if there ever was one. This series is unique in that it is the one game where you play as the monster who is also an anti-hero. Yet again, its series did its main character (Alex Mercer) dirty though on top of that, left too many questions unanswered. This series needs a reboot with a much better storyline. If you haven’t seen it, play the first game and you’ll see my point.

9- Tomb Raider - Now, we can all agree that this series has lost its way. While I am all for origin stories and I admit it makes sense for Lara Croft to not be hardened or toughened up from the start. Keeping her as a weak frightened girl doesn’t make her realistic nor does it make her a likeable heroine. And I am woman enough to admit that being athletic, confident, daring and badass is a part of Lara Croft’s character. I don’t want her to be realistic. I want her to be cool and fun to play. This series needs to go back to its roots when it was fun and Lara was allowed to shamelessly be herself.

10- Dead Rising - Another case of a game losing its way and its main protagonist becomes someone they’re not. The second instalment was the only game that felt true to what the series is supposed to be and even then, it felt like a spinoff not a part of the main story because Dead Rising is Frank West’s story. Another thing that also stood out about this game is that unlike most zombie themed games, the main character is not only not a fighter, he’s a total lover in all the great ways. Frank is (or rather, was) compassionate, honest and it isn’t for nothing that you only got the best ending when you would save everyone. Heck, he would save people who tried to kill him. This series should get a total reboot and a total rewrite after game 1. And can we please not give Frank a heart of stone? Him being loving is what made him great.

11- ObsCure - Another lost gem with a unique premise and group of protagonists. This game plays up our childhood fear of the dark because the monsters in this game literally are allergic to the light and the setting is in a highschool. It feels like Scream meets the Blair Witch Project making it a lot of fun, and the monsters are so delightfully creepy. Plus, the story was compelling. Sadly this series only got one sequel which was actually great, but never got that third instalment that would wrap everything up. I say we give this series a reboot, so it can finally finish what it started.

12- Resident Evil Outbreak - I know this is a spinoff series, but it’s one of the best in the series. It fills in a lot of gaps in the main storyline and any game that allows you to have your own tyrant fighting alongside you is awesome. It also has a multiple ending system which was well done and very rewarding when you get the best ending. I think this should get the reboot treatment and even have a third game that expands the aftermath further.

13- Resident Evil Dead Aim - Another one of the best spinoffs in the RE series because it expands the story specifically in how tyrants are made and how the variants work. And to be honest, I even liked the characters. I would love see new life breathed into this compelling game even if it just remains the only one of its kind.

14- Days Gone - I don’t care what anyone says. Any game that allows to play a biker with the spirit of an honourable warrior is badass. Also, can we talk about how this is one of the few games where the main protagonist is married and remains loyal to his wife even long after?! He may be white, male, straight and Christian, but he is still pretty progressive and embodies the BEST part of masculinity. The parts that drive a man to be romantic, noble and heroic. This game with extremely misjudged to the point of bigotry and it deserves a proper reintroduction because it was going places.

15- Half-Life - This series helped Valve get its jump start and it had the most unique and most iffy type of protagonist in an action/sci-fi game possible yet worked: a scientist. After all, who expect the skinny nerd with the big thick glasses to save the day? Yet, it worked and this game has tons of monsters that became iconic in video game lore. What’s really sad is that a third game was in works, but never saw the light of day. I say we reboot this series and give it the chance to honour its promise to give that third game at long last.

Bonus - Other honourable mentions here are Left 4 Dead because Back 4 Blood stinks, Alone in the Dark though I hear a reboot is in the works, Doom, Devil May Cry and the right way please, Bloody Roar, The Suffering, Fatal Frame, The Evil Within and any other fantastic game series that either went bad due to bad sequels or never got the chance to keep going.

[finniestoncrane]

OH I DIDN’T KNOW WE COULD DO MORE THAN ONE. Okay so I will also send in a blind date request :)

I’m not sure how much info you need so I’ll give you the basics

- I consider myself to be pretty quiet? Not intentionally I just happen to stumble over words a lot so :P I’m pretty detail oriented and everything in my house is either super ultra organized or an absolute mess, no in between. When it comes to dating I really just like someone who I can watch movies with (and have like a pretty interesting conversation about what we’re watching) AND someone who will give me good art feedback. More basic info is that I’m a tattoo artist, about to turn 22, and I have a relatively thick southern accent!

This was fun, I hope I gave you the info you needed :D

💜 blind date 💜 the kitchen is now closed! 🔞minors dni🔞 • masterlist • kofi link • tag: finnie1500 (to follow or to block) a/n: is it a blind date when you know who i'm putting you with??? lmao💚

“Welcome to the Vill-Inn! You're lucky to get a double date, or at least... a date with two handsome guys!”

There's only one man at the table you're pointed towards, but as you take a better look on your way over, you realise you know exactly who you're going to be seated across from.

"Harvey Dent. Although, I guess the work I've done as Two Face has superceded the fame I got as Harvey, doing what good I could do."

He seemed slightly bitter, but he warms up quickly. Especially when he realises he's spent the first fifteen minutes of your date talking about himself and his past as the district attorney, and then a further fifteen minutes arguing with himself about how much more important his work in the criminal underworld is, without you interrupting once.

"You're quiet. Or we're loud. It's one of the two, but it works, right?"

When you finally do say something, he's completely enamoured with your accent. Harvey finds it charming, he makes a joke about how Southern lawyers always seem more wholesome and trustworthy. Harv chimes in with a comment about how it makes it sound like you might be up for getting rowdy and dirty. You roll your eyes with a smile.

He asks where you live, and mentions the apartments there are nice. His interest is piqued when you mention that yours is a bit nice, a bit messy. That you can be cluttered an organised. That your space reflects both sides of your personality. With a wink and a chuckle he tells you he understands that all too well.

At one point, he excuses himself to take an important call, and when he returns to find that you've been doodling on the napkin he requests to take a closer look.

"Is that... is that me? Is that us? Wow. It's amazing. Always nice to see how you look through the eyes of someone else, and I like the way I look through yours."

Two Face is... less impressed with how you've drawn his side of Harvey. He offers some 'constructive criticism' as he puts it, and though Harvey apologises, you tell him not to. It's nice to hear feedback, positive and... 'constructive'.

At the end of the meal, Harvey refuses to let you pay. He tips the waitstaff with a crisp $100 bill and stands up, pulling your chair out for you. Ever the gentleman. Although, it's nice to have his other half leaning in close to smell your neck, a bit more forward than Harvey, but a nice contrast.

Outside, you say goodbye and move to grab a taxi, but Harvey waves the one who stops off. You're confused, but intrigued.

"Dinner and a movie, huh doll? There are two of us, you owe us a date each."

[anonymous-bastard]

ooooooo opinion on fruit trees that have free fruit in urban areas?

@underworlds-favourite

So this is a topic I don't really know a lot about so I kind of needed to extrapolate from what I do know. So I talk about the combination urban + green first.

That being said before you guys read my wall of text:

Depends on the tree and the area in question, I'd say.

In general I am supportive of the idea of growing more food and greenery in general in urban areas.

Rooftop gardens, urban gardening efforts, greenery on the side of building, I WANT IT ALL.

Urban gardening brings free food into communities and gardening is just straight up good for you. Time spent outside and caring for plants is good for your mental health.

Unsealing areas (removing pavement etc) allows for drainage of rainwater and often goes hand-i-hand with more greenery. (Keyword: sponge city)

IF DONE RIGHT, plants can also have a significant cooling effect, and give more shadow. Which is important in times of climate change.

And if you ever compare the look of a street with vs without trees - enormous difference. Just visually.

Now onto free fruit trees specifically:

Native trees are always better. Just in general, for everything. Wildlife, insects, they are all little racists that only like locals stuff /j. But seriously, local wildlife is adapted to local plants. If you are going for something better able to weather climate change, go for something from warmer regions from the same continent. It does make a difference!

Location is key here.

1: I'm not sure how much pollution, car exhaust, etc actually effect quality/ eatability of the product, someone who knows more about this than I do tell me.

2: Height is (possibly) another thing - if it is in a public place, where people are supposed to walk by and take food (as opposed to clearly connected to an apartment complex/ a set of apartment complexes), you really don't want for people to need to get a ladder. Berry bushes, raised garden beds with vegetables, etc are probably the better choice in this case, or just trees that grow fruit low. Just y'know. Keep things at people height.

3: Again especially for public places: (some) fruit trees are pretty "dirty". A lof of drooped fruit before it's ripe, or if it doesn't get harvested. And that turns gross and attracts wasps etc, and in a public place no one feels responsible for clean-up. But whether this os truly a problem is location dependent.

The last point can be mitigated by getting volunteers that take care of the project. A necessity in general in many cases - fruit trees are pretty easy once planted, but many vegetables you have to plant every year, weed, water, etc. But I feel with fruit trees especially one of the advantages is they don't need a lot of work and you can just put them there, so yeah.

In conclusion: If you want to start free food projects, whether as a grassroot effort from a local or if you are working for the municipality: look at your location. Think it through what kind of food would work best. Is the maintenance effort important, how much space do you have, what grows well under the local conditions, etc. And then do it! And despite all I've said don't let fear stop you. No plan survives first contact with the enemy, and you can adjust yours. It doesn't need to be perfect it just needs to work.

Also:

Fuck every politician and city planner ever that actively destroyed grassroot efforts for urban gardening and free food. I have nothing but contempt for you.

I would love to hear other peoples thoughts or experiences on the topic!

[yonemurishiroku]

Yay!

Okay, I'll start off by saying that Jason Grace is my absolute favourite character in the whole of the camp half-blood chronicles. When I was around 12 or so I genuinely had a crush on him and now that I'm 19 I just absolutely adore him and just want to protect him lol.

Anyways.

He's been done so dirty, okay? Killing a former protagonist after his series is over is so cheap idc, especially if you kill him out of the blue after revealing that a huge part of what he fought for during hoo (his relationship with Piper) was over.

I can understand Leo and Calypso breaking up, because they met for two weeks or something and then 'fell in love'. They have a lot to unpack and a lot to work through before they're able to form a relationship. But Piper and Jason? They were together for five books, there was a genuine connection between them, they worked well together, etc. Idk, whether you ship Jasper or not, them breaking up outside of their main story for factors that weren't even mentioned when they were protagonists is a huge wtf moment.

I don't want to think this, but it feels like Rick wanted Piper to be queer, which, you know, is great, the more representation the better, but there are other, more sensible ways he could've used to approach her queerness. He could've had Piper mention she'd realised she was queer after the war but she still loved Jason because, you know, four books of relationship development weren't for nothing. Or, if he wanted to break them up, he could've given Jason and Piper more protagonism and explain their reasoning for parting ways better.

But I digress.

Jason's death was so fucking gratuitous, it makes no sense. Why would you kill a protagonist after his series is over? Why? Just to be cruel? So that his death can be serve as some stupid character development for Apollo/yet another trauma for Nico?

Also, are we going to talk about how fucking stupid it is to kill Jason specifically? My man had a very important task to fulfil after hoo: he was going to create temples for the minor gods to stop them from rebelling. You know, he was doing virtually all of Olympus a huge service and I honestly don't know how the minor gods didn't all collectively murder Apollo for letting the one demigod that cared about them die. Idk, if I were a minor god I'll go steal his soul or something to resurrect him, because everyone else is too focused on themselves to care about the minor gods. This is so annoying wtf.

And don't even get me started on how sad it is that Jason's peace was robbed of him when he's been in a shitty place most of his life: his mother was an abusive alcoholic (because neglect is abuse), he was raised by a literal wolf and trained to be a warrior ever since, he was the Percy Jackson of Camp Jupiter during pjo, he had to fight in the war against Gaia, he had to see Leo die (and obviously Rick couldn't wait until they'd meet again to kill him), and the love of his life broke up with him when he did absolutely nothing (nothing!) wrong. People may not realise it, but he's one of the characters who's had the most fucked-up lives wtf.

In conclusion, Jason is now part of Hotel Valhalla because Hera did one (1) good thing and glitched his going to the Underworld so that he could live forever. That's what I'm telling myself from crying about him 24/7.

Ok I just want to say that in some time from now unto eternity I may steal borrow that 'if I were a minor god I'll go steal his (Jason's) soul or something to resurrect him' because that's an absolutely fantastic prompt for the next book.

(Or maybe idk the minor gods wrecking havoc bc their only representative was killed off for the sake of an Olympian sounds quite nice too).

For the rest yeah you have a (many) point(s).

[chickensarentcheap]

A flashback! A little cross-over of sorts. Esme and The Adjudicator

@youflickedtooharddamnit @secretaryunpaid @munstysmind @themaradwrites @mrsmungus @tragiclyhip @theesirenteller @thebejeweledwatercat @kmc1989 @karimac @asirensrage @residentdormouse @ninjasawakenedmystar @alisbackalleybbq

BELOW THE CUT

“Esme Drummond. It wasn’t easy. Finding you. One of the harder challenges I’ve faced. When you ran away, you certainly ran as far as you possibly could.”

She fights to control the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. Nervousness. Fear. Forcing herself to remain calm, cool and collected; recalling those days she’d come face to face with evil and had lived to tell about it.

"I never ran away. I had no reason to. I was spared. Given a second chance. And I took it. This is just where it led me to.”

“A second chance you didn’t earn or deserve. A grand injustice occurred. And I’m here to fix it. I’m an adjudicator. Sent by the High Table. I…”

“I know who you are.”

“Then I assume you know why I’m here.”

“I was cut loose. Excommunicated. I haven’t been back to The Continental, I haven’t done any work for anyone associated with them. I’ve kept my distance. Like I was told to. I found other employment. I never…”

“I’m not here because of something you did or didn’t do. I’m here because you never deserved the second chance you were given.”

“I went before the High Table. I defended my case. I had people speak on my behalf. John Wick and Winston…”

“Never should have been allowed their time before the High Table in the first place. It was an erroneous decision. Allowing them to come to your defence. Many others have broken High Table rules and have paid the price. They weren’t given the same treatment you were. It is a stain on the High Table. One they are desperate to wipe out.”

“It’s been three years. Why…?”

“We had a lot of seats open up. Meaning we have many new members. Powerful ones. Who aren’t as understanding or forgiving as their predecessors. And with new faces comes new business.”

“And that has to do with me because…?"

“One of the first orders of business was to review prior decisions. Regarding those who had broken High Table rules. People who had been given reprieve instead of punishment. And your file just happened to be on the list. Although to be honest, you likely would have continued to fly under the radar. Had you not resurfaced…quite spectacularly…in Dhaka.”

Esme frowns. “Dhaka? What does Dhaka have to do with this? What…?”

“Word gets around. Especially in our circle. The defeat of someone like Amir Asif is something to be praised. Celebrated, even. And it wasn’t exactly subdued was it? The way everything went down. It certainly was an attention grabber.”

“Admittedly, things didn’t go exactly as planned. They got a little…messy.”

“To say the least. You practically shot up and burned the entire city down.”

“To be fair, I had help. And I didn’t really do the dirty work.”

“That’s right. You had a partner. An accomplice. Someone watching over you. Keeping you safe. That means you were, what? Aiding and abetting? You can take the girl out of the criminal underworld but you can’t…”

“Do we really have to take a trip down memory lane? It’s not exactly my favourite thing to relive. Dhaka isn’t going to be on any highlight reel of mine.”

“It really wasn’t ALL bad, was it? Those stories have been passed around as well. About you and the mercenary. You were never known as someone who mixed business with pleasure. All part of ‘turning over a new leaf’, I presume? Unless…”

Her eyes narrow. “Unless WHAT?”

“Unless it was part of the game. Maybe you knew latching onto him would be the only way you’d get out of there alive. You had to find a way to guarantee safe passage out of Dhaka, so you decided to do whatever it took. Even if it meant keeping his body AND his bed warm. It’s clever. You’re even more devious than I originally thought. I admire it.”

“That’s not what happened. Not even close.”

“I highly doubt that your behaviour was genuine. That it was love at first sight. You knew the danger you were going into and you knew you had to do whatever it took to secure your survival. Isn’t that what you do? Con people? Have them believe everything you say is true? For your own benefit?”

“It’s what I DID,” she stresses. “I’m not in that life anymore. I gave it up. Back on that bridge. I left the old Esme behind. I’m not her anymore.”

“So you’re admitting it. You used him. Fooled him. In the same way you did so many others.”

“What happened between Tyler and I was real. Everything I felt, everything I said, everything I did, was genuine. There was no pretending. No lying. No manipulating. It was all real. And I don’t care what you or anyone thinks.”

“You do realize that Dhaka was a mess for many reasons, don’t you? You killed one of ours. Someone who was in very good standing with the High Table. Who had made allegiances with the likes of Amir Asif in order to benefit everyone involved. And things were going so smoothly until you showed up there. And stuck your nose where it didn’t belong.”

It suddenly makes so much sense. Nik’s reluctance to call Gaspar; arguing with Tyler that it wasn’t a good idea that they call his old friend and colleague for help. “Gaspar was in the circle? I thought he retired. Walked away from the game. I thought…”

“He walked away from the private sector. Got into something more lucrative. And then you came along and put a few bullets into him. You just can’t keep out of trouble when it comes to us, can you?”

“I didn’t kill him. I didn’t pull the trigger.”

“So the mercenary did.”

“I never said that.”

“Well considering there were only two of you capable of pulling off such a feat….” The adjudicator’s eyes widen; a smirk tugging at their lips. “Unless it was the boy.”

“What happened that night has no bearing on what’s going on right now. I’m not telling you a thing. Not about what went down at Gaspar’s house. Not about Dhaka in general. I know what happened. WHY it happened. In the same way I know that everything that I felt for Tyler…everything we talked about and experienced together…was real. You can’t take that away from me. No matter how hard you try. No one can.”

“While Gaspar’s untimely and bloody demise may not play a direct part in why I’m here, it holds relevance. You were there when it happened, you did nothing to stop it, and you refuse to say who was directly responsible. Therefore, it adds to the reasons you should be punished. And you will be. Punished.”

“And you came all the way here to tell me this? It couldn’t have been handled through a phone call? An email even?”

Their face hardens. Eyes darkening. “Believe me when I tell you that when it comes to this matter, snark is not in your best interest.”

[nevada-wrytes]

Chapter 5 - A Black Heart Laced with Neon Green Ribbons

Content Warnings: mentions of violence, cemeteries, and death

Link to the previous chapter and link to the next chapter

Part Two: Curses

There was only so long one could ignore a growing pile of “jobs” and “responsibilities” and “duties” before someone came in and pushed the stack over.

Raven was met with such a situation as he powered on the obsidian tablet that most citizens of the Underneath used to communicate (because cell phones, as they say, were for losers). Immediately, message upon message began popping up, most from annoyed clients who demanded a discount for late services. He ignored them all, even some warbled garbage sent by an unknown sender, but stopped when he got to one name in bold.

Boss (derogatory): Come see me.

A time and place were not specified, yet Raven knew exactly what it meant. He had no desire to go back to the Underworld, much less the City of the Dead, and he definitely did not want to meet with him.

With an weary sigh, Raven took a sip of his drink, finding comfort in the puffs of steam that curled out of the teacup.

Usually, cafés were uncomfortable places filled with too much noise and movement, but this one was nice. It was owned by an old friend, although she wouldn’t like to be called that, who took pride in preserving the ancient space as it had been a hundred years ago in the midst of the Roaring Twenties.

Raven liked the effect that the dark furniture and dim lighting cast, it felt both mysterious, edgy, and easy to disappear in. Among the swamping leather sofas and bursting bookshelves, he was just an ordinary guy enjoying a cup of tea. Maybe he’d pick up a book or put on a record. Life was simple, it didn't matter that Dahlia was dead. It didn’t matter that she was the fourth girl (along with two other guys) who’d met an untimely demise all because they decided to fall in love with the wrong person. Him.

Maybe it is a curse. Maybe he accidentally pissed off some deity and is unknowingly passing the misfortune on to some poor mortals. The fortune teller from before did seem especially ire with him...

Whatever. Now was not the time to genuflect. The glowing red text on the obsidian tablet in his lap provided an excellent distraction.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he muttered to the air as he stood up and dusted himself off. He stuck a wad of cash under his used saucer and turned to leave.

And was met with a very dirty, very prickly, broom to the face.

"Heyyyyyyyyy Margie," he casually said, emphasizing the nine Y’s at the end of ‘hey’ to prove his casualness.

The woman behind the broom, an older lady that looked like she was straight out of a boxing match, stared him down. She was taller than him, larger than him, and had biceps that looked like they bench pressed willowy teenage boys just like him.

If it wasn’t for the affectionate tilt of her mouth and the crow’s feet around her eyes she would have given even him a scare.

“Get the hell out of my café you rat." Although there was no real anger behind her words, Raven put his hands up, and backed away slowly.

“I mean no harm, Margi— I’m just stopping by— love what you’ve done with the place by the way.”

“Hmp.” Margi folded her huge biceps over her chest. “Am I s’posed to assume all of that’s true?”

“Ughhhhhh..”

Raven needed a way out of this conversation that contained the least amount of fists to his face. Luckily, Margi saved him the trouble of formulating some brain dead reply.

“What do you want.” A statement, not a question. “You know I don’t serve any criminals no more.”

Raven tried a laugh fit for a guilty man. “Criminal? Who— me? Pfftt..”

Margi gave him a Look.

“WELL ANYWAYS,” he began, as if being louder would erase the awkwardness of the subject, “ignore the details— do you, by any chance, still exchange demonic currency?”

៴

Like every other heartbroken teen, Raven had spent the past few days wallowing into tubs of lemon sorbet and Tinkerbell reruns. He didn’t actually cry, but just the thought of it was enough to make even the most waterproof mascara run.

However, just like any coming of age film, there has to be a point where enough is enough, where maybe the best friend comes in to pull the protagonist out of their moping by the hair and gets them to snap out of it. Unfortunately, Raven has to be his own best friend in this case, and pulling yourself together was much more difficult alone.

Regardless of if he enjoyed it or not, there was work that needed to be done, so he slapped on some kick-ass eyeliner and put on some kick-ass boots to go thlunking through the cemetery— because that was a normal thing to do.

Raven had a complicated relationship with cemeteries. He appreciated the lengths people would go to honor their loved ones, maintaining graves even generations later when there was no one left alive to remember the kind of person the body in the ground used to be, but grave sites also brought about a sort of stillness within him that he absolutely hated.

Even the air was calm, despite it being night and definitely much creepier when the corroded angel statues looked at you with weeping eyes. He felt like he could breathe again, for the first time since— Mother knows how long.

And if he could stay and recharge for hours, Raven felt, with no doubt, he would have enough will to charge into Hell itself and bring back Dahlia, and Rose, and Martin, and River…

Maybe he hated cemeteries because they reminded him of the people he lost. If he looked around, how many of the graves were there because of him?

His chunky boots slammed into the hard packed earth as he walked, a comforting thump in the silence. It had stopped raining ages ago, but the grass was still wet and now that the coolness of the night set in, condensation seemed to hang in the air like wet laundry strung out to dry.

The place was silent, not a rustle of wind or chirp from a cricket to break it up. That was why the voice boomed across the mossy gravestones like an uppercut.

"Oh my my! Don't we have a special guest here tonight!"

A young girl appeared out of the fog as if xe was a hallucination. She sat on top of a giant mausoleum in the center of the cemetery, swinging xer stockinged legs freely. They made hollow thumps when they hit the stone, giving the impression she was moreso a wooden doll come to life rather than a person.

And she did look like a doll, with a tiny figure and ruffled dress consisting of only the colors black and neon green. However, what xe lacked in intimidation factor, xe made up for by carrying a huge metal club that was also swinging at her feet.

Raven stepped closer, near enough to see her delicately painted face.

"Hello, Arcane. Still on gate duty I see."

The girl opened her mouth in what could have been a grin, if someone learned how to smile by listening to instructions of how to move your face muscles rather than seeing the real thing happen in person. Xer teeth were black as coal, and so was her tongue.

"Oh you would like that, wouldn’t you~” She started in a sing-songy voice, but then, after Raven raised a brow, xe cleared her throat, cheeks flushing.

“Nah, I'm just filling in for this Jack kid. Heard you were coming back and just couldn't wait to see ya."

She pushed off the building and dropped down next to him. Or.. not quite right next to him, because she was floating in the air a short, safe distance off, something that requires way too much energy just to remain on eye level with him.

Raven snorted, spirits and their vanities, and tossed her a sack of newly acquired gold.

Arcane snatched the gold out of the air before he had so much of a chance to blink, and began counting the coins. The next few moments were silent, other than the sharp click of metal being dropped back into the bag.

Although Raven really hated his job, one of the few benefits was learning how to read people— and finding a way to use that to his advantage.

Arcane was a wrathful entity— a spirit given flesh with the promises of cold revenge— or something else along those lines. What that meant was she had a passion, but unfortunately xe also had a big, big contract with some Guardian of Death in the way of that passion. So, the sooner she paid off xer debt, the faster she would be freed into the world to wreck as much havoc or despair as she so pleased.

And that, friends, is a very good bargaining chip.

“How many do you have patrolling the perimeter?” In less than a moment Raven had reclaimed her spot on top of a mausoleum as if it were his throne, forcing Arcane to turn quickly if xe didn’t want xer back to him. She looked stricken.

“What? How did you- how did you know that?” The wobble in her voice betrayed her as she clutched the sack of money to her chest like a shield.

Raven tilted his head. “You think I wouldn’t know? Come out, come out, wherever you are, demons.”

A shadow condensed in the corner, spitting out a humanoid beanpole who began frantically signing to Raven, some stuff about begging for mercy which was complete overkill since it’s not like he would actually kill any of them.

“Ah, just Neroli? I was expecting a bigger army for my visit.” He began signing too, now that he needed them both present in the conversation.

Raven didn’t know much about Neroli other than the fact he was some sort of low-tier entity like Arcane, but he did know that the two of them together had a special affinity that he so desperately needed.

"I want a quiet entrance into the Underneath, one that doesn’t appear on any radars, and I know you two can do it. I’m willing to pay handsomely, by the way.”

Arcane sniffed at the ‘handsomely’ part. Xe’d already counted the money and knew it was jack shit compared to what others would pay. That's why Raven was very much counting on his fear factor to get him what he wanted.

"Can't you already portal directly into the City-" Arcane began the accusation with an irritating huff, but was cut off by a warning nudge from Neroli.

The boy looked ready to lay his life on the line for Raven, probably as a thank you for not ending it so soon. (Again, Raven wasn’t going to, he needed them both alive, or, in whatever in-between state they were in currently.)

"Will you open the gate or not?" He forced his voice to sound terribly bored with this conversation, regardless if his entire body was screaming for them to say yes. If he wanted things to go smoothly in the City of the Dead he needed to get in (and hopefully out) quick.

Luckily, neither of them sensed the urgency, and after a private conversation, Arcane begrudgingly agreed.

"Fine, we will. But don’t spread the word that we can be bought for cheap, ya hear?"

Raven agreed with a polite smile, and once the deal was brokered, they all eased back into comfortable familiarity. Arcane switched back to her haughty personality and Neroli poked fun at xer whenever he got the chance. Raven, too, joined them as if they were old friends, enough to keep everyone laughing and chipper until he was through the gateway and in the bleak gray lands of the Underneath.

Tag list: @thebonecarver @victorfrankingstein @confused-as-all-hell @iambecomeyourvillain @brekkercookie @fallen-from-olympus @purpl-cryptid @reyyya @thecurlychameleon @naz-yalensky @thesexypanda-boo @kazoo-the-demjin @twelve-kinds-of-trouble @crime-mastergogo

[moss-sprouted]

im really really struggling to continue this book,im only a few chapters in but the sentence structure and the clunky dialogue that doesnt feel like any bit of rick's and it does really Feel like a middle grade book but it doesnt feel YA either it kinda just feels like fanfiction and everyone feels kinda out of character

the plot isnt bad, the execution is just bad and its extremely disappointing

i dont think rick Needed to write with another author, even if its because he wanted to write their love story with someone whos queer, which is nice but its missing some of the heart of the PJO universe and its not really captivating me or pulling me in, i want to like it but this doesnt really feel like these characters i know and love

maybe it gets better, maybe theres a part i should wait for

and the thing is its Not the change of pov, its not it being longer, its not it being different because HOO was all of those things

but the way those felt still felt in tune with the tone, and rick proved with hoo and toa that he Can write darker and sorrowful toned parts so it doesnt have to be a dull toned thing to focus on nico's trauma, and i dont think mark's a bad writer this isnt Bad its just not something i'd read, and this isnt a pjo book and the fact that nico got done so dirty especially when he and will are proclaimed like, fan favorites is so disappointing

nico in toa might have seemed like he had a bit of a personality shift from hoo and toa but this just feels like its not really him, the story can still have some lightheartedness while being able struggle and trauma

percy and annabeth's journey through tartarus still felt in with the lighthearted tone, but it was still painful and heartbreaking and sad and dramatic and traumatising, but its still going to be my favorite section of chapters from any of the books ever, because its well written and it has the same heart the series does

and the fact that the series first gay main couple gets something that essentially feels like fanfiction

again i havent finished it, and im only to about where theyre entering the underworld, but it just feels really boring and the pace is too fast but not in a good way like the rest of the series

the pacing is just too off, we dont sit in the moments enough but then sometimes its too much and nothing happens besides dialogue and it doesnt feel like this universe, why arent they being attacked by monsters every minute? how did they get through a train ride in new york without one monster popping up? this so far feels like an AU and maybe it'll get more dramatic in tartarus but some peoples posts have told me it doesnt

please tell me it gets better

[deadlysilencebeach]

Some words on Cyberpunk 2077 and existing

“You get to a certain age, you drop all your illusions. Life just gets easier from there.” ♫

I’ve said it enough times in my life, but existing is exhausting. To be perceived by the world in any form is among some of the most harrowing shit in life. I have enough trouble trying to cope with existing in my own terms, but to exist in yours, too? It’s a perpetual headache - one that I can’t seem to shake or make sense of this far into my life.

In spite of that, I find comfort in the fact that life goes on at a merciless, never ending pace. Nothing ever stops, no matter what I do or where I am. There is no scale at which my potential fuck-up will cause our planet to screech to a sudden halt. Even like, if I were to die at this very second, it wouldn’t do a thing to you from where you’re going. I always have trouble putting a feeling like that into words, but it’s like... I don’t know, liberating? It makes me feel like I’ve wriggled out of a tangle of chains that would’ve kept me from being who I am. I can choose to live however I want to.

It’s funny - the worry that anxiety will continuously force into your brain, is that everything revolves around your failure. It almost sounds self-centered as shit, if it weren’t for the fact that it forces you to carry an insurmountable burden that doesn’t even fucking exist. Besides, it’s not like I don’t deal with that burden every other waking moment of my life. There’s a very delicate balance between finding liberation and existential dread in the passage of time. That is something that I’m still working on. Shit’s tough, man.

Anyway, the point I wanted to make is that the struggle to come to terms with my existence is part of why I like big cities so much. The bright lights, loud streets, bustling lives - it’s a proverbial beating heart that draws in me and cradles me with a big blanket. It’s a double-sided blanket, too. A double-sided blanket with one side that allows me to show off to the world, while the other lets me blend in and disappear into the crowd for a little bit. Both sides provide me with their own kinds of comfort depending on what I need.

There are times where I need to be a part of a space in order to feel valid. This is especially true for being a trans gal, because the little things like passing and pronouns and all that stuff, are little boosts I need to feel like I am who I think I am. Sometimes, I need my body, and my voice, and my clothes and my hair to be perceived (no matter how) to feel attractive - to feel like I am allowed to exist, y’know? Other times, it is the gentle glow of the night time sky that I find appealing. To disappear, and observe the world as if I was never there, is... well, there’s a beauty in the particular sense of loneliness that it makes you feel. Life goes on.

“We’ve got a city to burn.” ♫

I had a lot of time to think about these feelings while thoroughly playing the shit out of Cyberpunk 2077. It was one of those “right time, right place” sorta things that feel prophetic as hell, like the world knew this was something I needed. Don’t be fooled, though - there’s a ton of commentary on trans-humanism, souls, corporations (of which the irony is staggering at times) but none of that stuff was the real takeaway for me and Cyberpunk, at least in this context. That stuff was cool and all, but the part of Cyberpunk that truly struck a chord with me was the big, bright hellhole of a city it puts together.

My time with Cyberpunk is done for now, but I cannot seem to get Night City out of my fucking head. I cannot stop thinking about its claustrophobic, overcrowded markets and cramped megabuildings brimming with rejects and wannabes from the city’s underworld. Pipes, exposed wiring, dirty street corners and tiny nooks at every turn - it’s like everywhere you look could be someone’s favorite place, or the best noodles in town, or a creepy little shop where a weirdo is selling discount body modifications. The mechanical immersion doesn’t go as deep as allowing you to sit at a food stall and eat, but that kinda doesn’t matter to me because the entire thing sparks my imagination in a way I’ve rarely felt.

I get lost in Night City, but not in the weird video game-y that nerds talk about when they like a mountain in Skyrim or think the grass in Horizon is pretty. I genuinely find myself mesmerized by the soundscape of beeping cars, indistinct chatter, coughing, arguing, even down to the little details of miscellaneous future beeps and boops. It is comprised entirely of its influences - forming a whole from the steamy streets of Blade Runner, the hyperbolic 80s fashion sense of Akira and the part of Ghost in the Shell where massive, sanitized corporate towers linger as predators over a sea of lights. Though, my personal experience got a bit more Serial Experiments Lain out of everything. Whenever there wasn’t pounding trance music in dark clubs or desperate husks of chrome and flesh roaming the streets, there were low hums of hard drives buzzing and electronic fans cooling off heat in dark rooms dimly lit by a single computer screen. There will always be noise.

“Don’t want people gettin’ stuck in a rut, stuck in the past. Want them to change. Them and the world.” ♫

I consistently find myself describing periods of my life as “weird.” It’s always something like “things have been weird lately,” or “I’m going through a weird patch right now.” Day after day. It has gone on for so long, the thing I call “weird lately” has now gone on for most of my life. Thinking about it, I tend to say this more often in stretches that feel transitional. The bit of time between college and university? Weird as shit. In fact, the entirety of my time at university felt transitional - as if I had spend the entire time trying to settle and find my place when I never did. I don’t remember much from those years, because it felt like I was going to eventually land on my feet and I would finally make sense of the world, of my life. I never did.

Currently, I would describe this period of my life as “weird.” Somewhere between finding the most incredible person I’ve ever met (hi, Jace) and figuring out what I can do with that to make a life that matters to me. Because for most of my life, there was nothing to live for. Each and every thing I did were varying means to making sense of why I am in this world. Will I be inspired at school to make good academic decisions? Will university spark me to find a real-world profession and be a part of everyday society?  Fuck no. Not a single time. All I ever wanted to do was push myself further, and further away, especially if it meant it would kill me.

The allure of the city makes me forget all about that, because for once, my existence is unconditional. I don’t exist for you, or for money, or for profit - for anything other than to exist in my own terms. To be in a crowd that crosses the street is blending into the world, homogenizing myself for just a little bit. To order a coffee and sit in the comfort of my own company, so I can lose myself in lives gone by. To dance in a crowd, or commute in a lively train, or even just... lay there and take it all in. Night City reminded me of all of it.

There’s probably something profound I could say about how capitalism, and social pressure and the structure of the world forces my hand to find a purpose that provides value to the world, but I am not looking for it here. Someone I love deeply once taught me that there are things in life that do not make sense, because they just are. Life has no grasp of meaning, or rules, or time, or purpose, it merely exists how it must, on its own terms.

I don’t want to make sense. When I get lost in like I did in Night City, I lose the concept of sense. Instead, I inhibit this desire to just be. To listen, to observe, to look cute, to indulge, to consume, to be as passive or hands-on and I want or need to be. It is such a distinctly human feeling to free myself from unwanted perception and exist as I want. If you see me, it is because I want you to see me. If I disappear, it is because I want to disappear. There is little more that allows me to feel a sense of agency over myself.

And... I don’t know, there’s something empowering about knowing that I don’t have to be anything that I don’t want to be. Until recently, I had the impression that in order to have a fulfilling life, I would have to be something or someone big. I would have to make a lot of money, or be seen by a lot of people and those are the validations that really mattered in life. That it didn’t matter what I really wanted, just that I had to mean something to the world in order to be a real person.

V, the playable character in Cyberpunk 2077, has her own reasons for wanting to be a legend in Night City. Her goal is to be remembered by everyone. Seeing what V wanted made me realize that wanting to be known is no longer something I desire. I wonder if it is something I ever truly desired at all. I do not want to be useful to you. I do not want to be talked about by you. I want to be.

I still have a lot of growing up to do, don’t I?

Ajay

01/08/23 @ 00h48

“The world’s gonna hear about you.”

[p-antomime]

Ballerina Box.

𖦹 minors don’t interact.┊wc: 6K.

𖦹 content: service dom!mikey, baby trapping, nicknames, unprotected sex, obsessive behavior, cunniligus, power imbalance, mention of guns, mirror sex, praise!kink.

𖦹 pairings: bonten timeline!sano 'mikey' manjiro x ballerina!fem!reader.

ᥫ᭡. request. | tokyo rev. masterlist! | taglist!

¹ = in ballet, it's nothing more than the technique of moving the arms properly and in it the arms move specifically from the shoulder and not from the elbow, and they need to be fluid and smooth, especially when being performed on stage. and this name, "port de bras", can refer to just one arm harmonization exercise or to a group of series of positions, which is precisely the case in which it was used in the scene quoted in the story.

[visual demonstration]

² = it's the move of when one foot slides along the floor before brushing into the air, and while the first foot goes into the air, the ballerina jumps and both feet met 'in'.

[visual demonstration]

³ = "adagio" refers to any movement that is both slow and graceful, so, it can be, e.g: développé, plié, arabesque (and many more as well).

⁴ = "Prima ballerina assoluta" is a title given to basically the most talented and notable female ballet dancer of some/the generation.

— Ready? Everything ready? — Ran looked back over one shoulder with one hand straightening the tie that was clinging too tightly around his neck, he didn't know if he always wore his own ties too tight, like a second skin, or if the nervousness of the delicate situation was making him uncomfortable for the first time. 

— Obviously. — The only one who answered was Kokonoi, who looked tidier than ever, but still wearing the little red line of makeup under his eyes that made them take on a more feline character; just the way he liked it. 

— I sort of... — Haruchiyo began to speak without knowing how to express his doubts as the guard at the main entrance of the Opera House checked the information on the identification cards of each of the men present there. — I didn't understand if we were going to finish the transactions during the ballet performance or if we just need to watch this? 

And then the eyes fell on Mikey, as if he was Jesus and his answer would bring miracles. The answer, however, only came out of his mouth after all of Bonten's men had gone past the guard at the main entrance and were guided by two female Russian officials with whom they were talking for work and guns. 

— It is a political exchange. — He sat exactly in the middle stateroom chair that was close to the balcony from where it was possible not only to see the stage in a panoramic view, but also the people sitting in the less comfortable chairs below where they were. — We financed this show with dirty money that will probably be injected into whatever project they are doing in the Russian underworld, they give us the guns we need. — Mikey's eyes wandered around the brightly lit stage before turning to the other balconies around theirs, it was possible to tell that the Russian syndicate had moved some things around under the table so that Bonten would be in the best place possible. — I doubt that the rest of the people sitting in the other box seats are normal citizens. 

— So, do we need to just watch? 

The answer came in the form of a nod from Manjiro and Haruchiyo leaned back against the comfortable back of his armchair in the same way that Rindou and Takeomi had done seconds before. 

— Watching and enjoying the show. — Kokonoi commented, pulling out of a pocket some kind of golden binoculars that would help him to watch the show closely, even though they were fairly far from the stage.  

— You look like a grandma wearing this. — Rindou remarked and almost everyone, with the exception of Kakucho and Mikey, at least gave an amused and mocking smirk. 

— Shut the hell– 

Kokonoi held back and abruptly closed his mouth as the stage lights slowly dimmed, as if the show's producers were trying to recreate the dimness of the night, and a silent general consensus made it obvious that it was time for the performance to begin. 

And on the other side of the heavy red curtains, you were nervously resting one arm on the knee of your ballet company colleague and closing your eyes while the soft music of the theater orchestra filled your ears. 

The first act was just a brief visual presentation of the story, as always, but even after a hundred, five hundred, a thousand performances, you still felt as if you were about to have your heart explode with tachycardia. You could feel absolutely everything, from the high-top pointe shoes squeezing the sides of your feet that had not yet fully recovered from the last grueling rehearsals of the previous weeks, to the cold radiating from the shiny stage floor, since the first scene consisted of you getting up from it to dance around your partner — and if there was no orchestra to serve as your partner in crime, maybe the audience could hear your crazed heartbeat. 

While your clothes were flowing white and had small glittering sparkles and two small cream-colored plumes to represent your fairy wings, your colleague's were typically styled as a Scottish kilt. For almost two hours of the show, you would be a Sylphid, he would be James, a young man committed to Effie but in love with you.

You pulled the air into the lungs and only let it out once the curtains opened. The light around the stage was lowered and immediately focused on your silhouette and that of your stage mate, so it was hardly possible to actually intercept any concise faces in the audience. At least not until you, after looking at him, rose from the floor gracefully, body weight moving diagonally the way the choreographer had taught you many months before, and assumed your starting position with the right foot resting with the tip of your ponte shoes on the floor and the left one completely flat. 

Now, in fact, it was just you, the blood running insistently through your temples as a message that you needed to concentrate to the maximum even if the people didn't really know when you made a mistake and a silent audience that was only allowed to clap at scene changes, act transitions or performance endings. 

Deep down, so deep that perhaps it was stored in the same trunk as your personal traumas as a ballet dancer, you felt as if you were floating on the stage — as if your ponte shoes were your Hermes shoes, and the white dress with fluttering tulle helped convey this idea to everyone present there. 

Everyone present there was paying attention to you, including Manjiro Sano, who didn't even notice the way his body moved forward and hands rested on the armrests of the comfortable armchair when you began to move as if you were a seductive dream as delicate as a morning breeze or an angel's wing feather. It didn't even feel like you were touching the floor, but rather like the tulle of your dress was slowly embedding itself in Mikey's memory like a piece of heaven in his Dante's Inferno. 

While you and your ports de bras¹, assemblé² and adagio³ were going through his mind, absolutely nothing but achieving perfection was going through yours, especially since the idea of the performance was precisely to bring a piece of James' dream, a young man in love, to the stage, and dreams are not human and should not breathe like one. 

Manjiro didn't used to believe in angels because he had never even seen one in his entire life. All his life until now, right in front of him, with a flowing white tutu dress and an elegance that made him question whether you were human at all. No human could do that — float like a mystical being and make a man like him hold his breath without knowing how to react properly.  

— Koko... — Mikey's voice came out almost as a whisper. — Can I? — He nodded at Hajime's binoculars, who pulled them away from his eyes to look at him.  

— It depends on how long you are going to use it. 

— Just... — Manjiro's head turned sideways again, now you were already finishing the initial scene and he was missing the golden chance to see your face up close using the binoculars. — Gimme it, Koko, I need it. — His hand gestured and Kokonoi, however unwillingly, left the object in his hand. 

Mikey promptly adjusted their internal distance and put them over eyes at just the right and precise time to catch a great view of your face smiling gracefully as your scene partner woke up from James' imaginary sleep and the performance continued with you calmly leaving the scene and Effie entering. 

Manjiro didn't even realize he let out a relieved sigh when he could see your face up close, but everyone around him did, just as they also noticed the way he didn't return the golden binoculars to Kokonoi and also made a small 'O' as soon as your character, after having a symbolic veil placed around your waist by James after he was tricked by the forest witch, died and your ballet partner finished the second act with melancholic steps. 

Soon after, several claps filled the theater completely and Mikey, in the Bonten box room, was the only one who stood up and applauded so loudly that his palms reddened when you and the entire corps de ballet finished thanking the audience for coming to see the show. 

Watching you walk off one side of the stage followed by the guards and other cast mates, Manjiro wondered if somehow he would manage to intercept you on the street before you got into the bus to go back to the hotel where everyone was staying.  

— Who's she? — He asked, looking over his shoulder at Haruchiyo and Rindou and they looked at each other.  

— Don't you follow ballet? — Rindou asked and Mikey's face contorted in irritation, he understanding that his boss's patience didn't allow him to make jokes. — She's Y/N, if 'm not mistaken, I don't follow ballet much, but I've heard of her ‘cause she's quite famous as a dancer and I've seen one of her shows. 

Mikey almost felt betrayed that Rindou never talked about you. But more than this: he needed to see you again, up close, without the binoculars. 

— Does anyone have a pen? — He asked and everyone looked at each other. — So, get one. — Ran and Haruchiyo promptly stood up at the same time as Kakucho; the abrupt movement did not go unnoticed by the guards on the floor below their cabin and Mikey promptly gestured with the head and one hand that they were just going to the bathroom. 

A few seconds later, Sanzu appeared back in the cabin carrying a pen that was strangely hot and Mikey didn't care whose hand he had pulled it out of. 

— Don't let her cast leave the building, got it? 

— Mikey, they... — Kokonoi stood up and reached up to force his view to scan a small door being opened on the opposite side from where you entered earlier. — They are already leaving. — Manjiro looked over his shoulder and stormed out of the cabin, followed by the men most loyal to him. 

He whistled as Ran and Kakucho appeared in the main hall of the opera house and the older Haitani, like his brother, understood that it was for him to go get his race car parked a few meters from the building and Rindou, deducing that Mikey wanted them to use it to avoid letting the bus with the ballet cast to leave and go to the hotel, explained this to him as they went to get the car. 

— Don't let those guys touch me. — Manjiro was referring to the guards and Kakucho and Haruchiyo understood that what he wanted to do was either dangerous or morally wrong. 

And in the end it was the first option, since as soon as you stepped outside the theater building, Mikey ran towards the bus that would have left if Ran and Rindou hadn't been blocking the way pretending not to know how to park and several people who were fans of your ballet academy were piling up around you and the other dancers trying to get into the bus safely. 

It was at this very moment that he realized that you were more famous than he had expected and that it was going to be necessary to pick off one person at a time until he got to you. And that's what he did; Sano Manjiro has no problem forcing his way until he's where he wants to be, and a few seconds — and nudges and shoves — later he was desperately rattling the pen near you and calling your name as if he were an obsessed fan. And you, on the other hand, only looked away by a stroke of luck, since you were used to people shouting your name after a performance. 

— C-Can you gimme an autograph?! Please! I– — Mikey didn't expect to flinch or stutter when you looked him straight in the eye with an eager, apprehensive expression. 

— Pardon? — You hadn't been able to hear what he was saying because of the shouting around the place.  

— An autograph! — He shook the pen in your direction and tried to get through the arms of the guards around you, and you looked around to see if the bus was about to leave or not. — Please! — You motioned to the guard to let Mikey come a little closer and took the pen, trying, with a confused and questioning expression, to understand where he wanted you to sign. — Here! — Manjiro turned the face away and put his finger on his cheek.  

It was an excuse to have your hand hold his chin for support so he could feel a bit of your skin against his. 

You signed your name as legibly as you could in the chaos and, hearing someone shout your name and recognizing the voice of a friend from the ballet company, turned away and threw the pen in Mikey's direction expecting him to catch it in mid-air.  

— Sorry! I'm in a hurry! — You shouted at Manjiro and he almost felt himself melting with affection. — Maybe another time, another show, we'll see each other again! — Your hand waved at him before your body entered the bus and Mikey signaled with his forefinger and ring finger for Haruchiyo to send a message to Ran that he could get out of the way of the bus. 

That night, the Bonten leader returned home with a satisfied smile and a beating heart as he ordered his men to research everything about your life as quickly as possible, which wasn't that hard to find out since a quick search already showed your background as a dancer and Prima ballerina assoluta⁴. 

In the following days, Mikey silently started paying the Russian syndicate with whom Bonten had relations so that he could get not only the exact location of the ballet headquarters where you were training, but also to find out how the schedule of shows as a dancer was in your personal schedule. Little by little, over long days that turned into weeks, he made himself present initially as a fan who always attended your performances and there were a few times when you were at the backstage that your eyes unwittingly managed to intercept him in the audience. 

You just didn't expect to see him walking through the front door of your ballet company's building in the following weeks or him greeting your choreography team as if they had been friends for a long time. He even attended some ballet practices of the upcoming shows and when you asked who he was, your closest choreographer replied that he was 'Sano Manjiro, the new partner of the ballet company'. 

And now, it was one of those days you didn't want to make typical when you were rehearsing some already memorized acts and steps and Mikey was watching you almost from the side, almost from behind the almost transparent glass door of the main training room because he was trying to gather enough courage to talk to you during those several weeks. 

— I can feel you watching me. — You said, looking at his blurred silhouette on the glass in the reflection of the huge mirror. 

— I– I'm sorry. — His head popped through the door and you crossed your arms, still staring at him. — I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. 

— Who are you? — One of your eyebrows rose questioningly before you spoke again: — Everyone keeps telling me that you're a partner in the company, but if you were, you wouldn't have had to fight through a crowd to get an autograph that day. 

His heart pounded when he heard you say that you remembered him as well as if it hadn't been almost a month since that performance.  

— We can say that I'm just a guy who likes ballet a lot. — He answered, shrugging and opening the door a little and entering the rehearsal room. 

— I can tell you're this type of guy since you went to almost all of my shows last weeks. 

You pressed the leotard to your body and got into a starting position with your feet turned out with your heels resting against each other. 

And Mikey tried to break the ice a little, since he could tell that you were uncomfortable and indirectly tried to make him let you alone and leave the room.  

— I looked like a creepy guy in the previous days, didn't I? 

You couldn't hold back a mocking laugh that concentrated you from the first step and made you put your whole body weight on one foot before you put one hand on your waist and looked at Manjiro in the reflection of the mirror. 

— Damn, and you still ask? That's obvious, Mr. Sano! — You rolled your eyes. — No girl likes to feel watched, if I may be honest.  

— I know, I just... — Mikey felt his own lips very dry and uneasily shifted on his feet trying to find the right words to express himself. — You made something click in my brain in that performance of La Sylphide. And it was good, very good– I mean, you were good, very good, I– — You raised your eyebrows, his embarrassment was cute, almost amused, and a sideways smile appeared on his face as his cheeks reddened and he felt like a teenager again. — You get it.  

— Mhm, yeah, I did, don't worry. — You nodded your head in agreement. — And, even though you've been a creepy the past few weeks, I think I can say a "Thank you" to you for enjoying my performance so much that day, you in the audience don't know, but every compliment makes us, as dancers and artists, sleep better at night and also try to keep doing these huge shows for you even when our bodies ask us to go to sleep and rest. 

Were you thanking him? Mikey felt his cheeks grow even rosier and hoped you would talk to him some more, which you didn't — you had steps to train and revise and a job in which to excel more and more, but at least you let him watch your solitary training without complaining and deep down enjoyed checking his surprised and amused face a few times to see how high your leg could go and how expressive your arms were. For him, it was as if he was reminiscing about that same angelic spectacle from before; for you: it was just another normal training session. 

The next day Manjiro didn't show up, but in compensation he sent a grumpy Sanzu Haruchiyo to stand guard in front of his company's building to make sure everything was okay. He was trying not to be as "creepy" as in the previous weeks so as not to scare you and, in the absence of you physically, his time was spent watching other performances of yours on YouTube or checking if the gun deal was in order. On Friday, however, he returned to the same training room as before and tried to engage in a real conversation. And it ended with him giving you his number saying that "if you needed anything, you could call me" and you replying that your “usually didn't need a lot of help, so maybe he could wait for a call or message from you sitting down so he wouldn't get so tired”. 

Mikey never expected you to be an easy conquest or an easy girl to captivate, but he had all the time in the world and if didn't, he wouldn't hesitate to make Cronos bow down before your feet. 

Little by little you got used to his presence and gave Manjiro a little more freedom to talk and interact with you, to the point that one day, after one of your shows as a dancer, he asked you backstage if you wanted to go to dinner with him — and Kakucho was even waiting outside the opera house with the car parked — but you refused with a playful tone saying: "Uh? You want me to go out with you, but didn't even bring a bouquet of flowers?" when, in fact, you were just tired and wanted to go home soon so you could sleep. In belated response, the Bonten leader showed up a few days later at another performance with a bouquet of your favorite flowers saying: "Now, I brought a bouquet, and I also booked the restaurant just for the two of us, so...?”. 

Deep down, he was lucky that you weren't so tired that night and that a cough choked off your embarrassment and beating heart, the answer was positive this time and, ironically, the dinner was more lively and fun than you expected. It was the turning of the tide that Mikey needed to get closer to you and be able to attend all your rehearsals without having you treat him like a stranger — which meant that after almost all your shows or weekends off you were going out with him. 

Until the day came for you to introduce La Sylphide again. And again, Manjiro felt like it was the first time he was watching it, but this time his lungs and heart were filled with the dust of romance and you seemed even more like an unreachable goddess. Or almost unreachable, since after the show his hands managed to reach your face while you were eating dinner together and made you stare at him for long seconds until his attention slid to your lips and your breath mingled with his. 

— D-Don't, Manjiro. — It was the first time your voice faltered in his presence, he couldn't stifle a satisfied smile. 

— You don't want me to kiss you? — His head dropped a little closer to yours and you placed your index finger on his lips. — Or are you afraid that you might like it too much and want to run away with me away from your normal life? — A ragged laugh escaped you.  

— I'd never run away with a man like ya', Manjiro.  

— If you're so sure of that, do it. — He clasped a hand in the back of your neck and pulled your face closer. — Do it, kiss me, go ahead if you're so sure about it. 

It was a challenge that ate at your insides and made you want to kiss him until he was breathless so that he could learn not to try to pull you out of the comfort zone that you had built with a lot of sweat and foot pain from ballet shoes. 

Maybe having him so close made you less sane than before, since as soon as your lips smacked against his on their own you felt like you weren't yourself in the same way he felt when he saw you dancing like an angel for the first time. However, after so long of not relating properly to other people with anything beyond friendship for the sake of your professional work as a dancer, it seemed that you had unlearned how to kiss with the same intensity as before — and, for Mikey, this was perfect, it meant that he could and should guide the rhythm in the proper way and that's exactly what he did by taking control of the situation and deepening the kiss with his tongue sliding between your lips and a mess being created between you. 

In the end, the one who had to pull him by the hair in order to breathe properly was you, and your eyes immediately shifted their attention to the restaurant floor as soon as they opened. And one of his hands slid down to caress your knee. 

— You're as good at kissing as you are at dancing. 

— Shut up, Manjiro. — You answered shyly before sinking the back against the seat and he let out a chuckle before deciding to let you digest and decode the frenzy of feelings messing up your brain. 

Because of this mess, after that dinner you spent two whole weeks ignoring him and just when Mikey was beginning to think he had done something wrong and ruined everything, a text from you arrived on his phone asking if you could go out together next weekend and he almost jumped out of bed going to answer it immediately. 

When he saw you arrive wearing a sundress that fluttered when the wind kissed your body, his brain understood that it wasn't just a "out going"; it was a date. It became more obvious when you shyly, without saying anything, slid your fingers through one of his hands to intertwine yours in his. 

— We... — Manjiro was about to ask and not announce that you were dating, but he knew that if there were any unclear edges between you two at that moment, you might slip through his fingers again. — We're dating. 

You glared at him, trying to stifle a silly smile.  

— I don't think boyfriends kiss their girlfriends just once. 

It was the cue he needed to kiss you again in a more tender way than the first and the kisses that came in the hours, days and weeks that followed made you feel as if the world was lighter even though ballet practice was getting harder. And you had no idea why they were getting harder and harder. 

Until the news came. You would be performing in other theaters, since, as a prima ballerina assoluta, your presence and talent were required to be seen by other eyes. And for you, it was not a problem to have to travel around the globe, this was just a consequence of your job, so when you texted Mikey about this before going on stage for another performance, your mind was at ease and it kept like this until you woke up the next day, showered and went to the huge building to train again. 

And, to your surprise, Manjiro was already sitting in one of the movable armchairs scattered around the room waiting for you with a serene face. 

— How was the performance yesterday? — He asked and you dropped your backpack with a change of casual clothes on the floor before walking towards him and leaning down to kiss his lips. 

— Great! It was nice, but, to be honest, I came home with everything hurting and fainted into my bed for... — Eyes went to the wall clock. — Almost 10 hours straight! 

— Yep, 10hrs. — Mikey cleared his throat and checked once more the message you had sent about having to spend an entire season traveling. — And also a lil’ over 10 hours since, y’know, that message. — He shook the phone in your direction and you leaned on the firm metal bar in front of the mirror.  

— You... have a problem? With my new schedule? And, well, y'know, the traveling and me spending time away from you. — Your hands nervously went to adjust the leotard around your hips and a morbid silence settled over the place as Manjiro raised his eyes making a long, resilient and patient path from your feet to face. 

He was scheming, thinking. On how to make you stay not only on his side forever, but also on how to silently curtail your path as a dancer, since he knew that in a fight involving him and your job, your answer would always be the pointe shoes. 

— Absolutely not, my angel. — He gave a sideways smile before standing up with his hands in his pockets and an air of triumph surrounding him until his feet stopped in front of him. — I just kept thinking all night about how I’ll have to get used to you being away for a while, for a few months, y’know I got used to sleeping knowing that you're only a few streets away from me and not a few miles across the ocean, don't you? — Your head nodded, but before your mouth could open to answer him: — But! But, don't worry, I'll support you with this new project and I might even try to get a flight to see you perform in other theaters! 

Mikey leaned in to kiss you and crack a complacent smile as his hands slid from the top of your back to your waist to squeeze you and send a shiver down your back slowly. 

— I– M-Mikey! — You tried to speak between the little kisses he proceeded to give you, and his body clung to yours until your back was slamming against the support bar of the room. — W-We can, we can do video calls and– 

— Yeah, video calls, we can do it anytime you want, angel, of course we can, mhm. — His lips fell on your lips and fingers slid down to your ass to squeeze it and snuggle into the sides of your leotard. — But, now, we can do more than just see each other, right? I can feel your skin, you can feel mine and I can even make you feel really great before your ballet stuff. 

— We have no time, 'Jiro. — Although that had come out of his mouth, his hands had already traveled to the middle of your legs to pull one of the bars of your leotard to the side and your fingers were soon replaced by his immediately placing themselves on the folds to spread them. 

— We have a lot of time, you're not a newbie dancer who have to share a practice room with twenty others, you're the ballerina. — He whispered, kneeling down, patting your thigh twice and nodding his head toward the metal bar, you understood that he wanted one of your legs to rest with its heel on the firm support against the mirror. 

— I don't think I... — You looked up at him, your breath starting to shorten as his fingers slowly teased your folds with circular motions. — It's different resting your leg here in a training and when you're between my legs, 'Jiro. 

— I know you can do it for me, angel. — He replied and his eyebrows rose suggestively as you tried to rest your leg on that iron bar as firmly as you could muster as you felt his warm, calm breath against your exposed pussy. — Mhm, like this is perfect, you're perfect. 

A small smile appeared on Mikey's lips before he concentrated and occupied himself with licking and sucking you thoroughly, his tongue massaging your clit and folds with a slowness that made you drop the head back against the mirror and tangle fingers in his platinum hair. Manjiro knows how to eat you out, how much pressure to apply to feel your clit throbbing against his mouth, but first he always wanted to taste you and explore everything he could find; it was obvious that he felt in heaven getting drunk on your pussy.  

It was almost a rite of passage for him to have a good day that he could spend long minutes sucking and licking you like a starved man until he felt your legs wobble — even though you were still trying to lean on the ballet iron bar — and your entrance squeezing over his tongue.  

You were so easy after he spent a lot of time chasing you like a swan and its hunter, he loved this feeling of power he had over you.  

— Do it, princess, cum all over my tongue, I know you want it, go on. — His voice came out broken by the times he spent sucking your clit and teasing you with the tip of his soft tongue. 

Your hands desperately let go of his hair to support yourself on the iron bar and almost half a second later you were coming with trembling legs, head falling back and the sound of his name coming from between your lips in the form of gasping moans. All while his eyes stared at you intensely from below, hands went to unbutton his pants and mouth got busy swallowing and savoring the sweet taste of your juices. 

— See? You did such a good job t'me, such a good and pretty girl you are. — A chuckle escaped Mikey's lips as he stood up and pulled you away from the iron bar until both your legs were on the floor and he could turn you to face the mirror. — Have you ever been fucked in front of this mirror? — His head jerked up into the reflection of the two of you and your hands tightened again on that support.  

— N-No, 'Jiro, it– you'd be the first to– — His voice overlapped yours. 

— And last, I hope. — Your head fell back to rest on one of Manjiro's shoulders and one hand pulled your leotard away from your pussy again while the other directed his cock leaking pre-cum toward your tight entrance. 

— Mhm, yes, Mikey, you'd be the only one, the first and last too. — You could feel the swollen tip sliding through your folds and instinctively your hips moved against his to try to slide it into you faster. 

— Look at the mirror, at us, princess. — Your head snapped up and, inevitably, it didn't take long for your attention to fall on the way his dick was teasing your entrance. — Isn't that a pretty sight? — You nodded and he held you by the waist as he slowly invaded you until you were taking it all the way down to the base and his cum-filled balls slap against your swollen clit. — Now, look at how well your tiny, pretty pussy takes me, how deep I can go inside you. — Manjiro thrust hard inside you and you almost lost the balance. — I could do this everyday with you if you didn't have all these shows, ballet performances. 

You felt a shiver run down your back slowly, his lips latch onto your neck, leaving wet nibbles and kisses against your skin, but at no time did his eyes wander from your face squinting in the reflection of the mirror and the way you seemed mesmerized by the way his cock slammed into your pussy and appeared and disappeared over and over again as he fucked you dumb. 

If someone in the hallway wasn't listening to your moans and his hoarse grunts, they would certainly be listening to the wet noise coming from between your legs and the sound of skin slapping and rubbing against skin over and over again. 

And Mikey, as he fucked you faster and faster and chased his own climax with his dick throbbing harder and harder, faithfully believed that shoving a baby inside you to keep you from traveling was the greatest proof of love that a man like him could give you. He already planned to leave Haruchiyo and Kakucho in charge of Bonten honorary for the next nine months in which he would place himself as the best boyfriend and future husband, the only thing out of his plans was: you agreeing to perform in other countries, almost as if you wanted to abandon him temporarily. 

Sano Manjiro could, would and will fuck a baby into you. And he'd do it with his pupils turned into hearts and hands gripping your waist possessively to keep you still while his balls slapped against your sensitive swollen clit and emptied themselves inside your tight, warm pussy. 

As you felt the hot spurts of his thick cum inside you, it was impossible not to moan his name out loud as your eyes rolled back and body trembled trying to digest the overstimulation. Unintentionally, your leg detached itself from the iron bar and if his hands hadn't been so tight around your waist and yours hadn't been the same way against that support, you would have fallen to the floor with his fertile seed leaking from between your thighs.  

— Damn, you're leaking already and I barely pulled out. — Mikey whispered as you watched your pussy let some of his cum leak out even though he wasn't completely out of it yet. — Even if you're going to make such a mess with this pretty pussy of yours, I still love you, y'know it, don't you? — He took you by the chin to pull your face to the side and kiss you as you nodded silently in response to his rhetorical question. 

And a kiss was what he also gave you before he let you shower in the ballet company's locker room and left the building to go call Haruchiyo to pull up information on what your nearest flight was. You were about to be placed in a little box of ballerina music that Manjiro had reserved for you from the very beginning. 

ㅤ🏷 tagging: @festive @wakaslut @strawberrysanzu @bontensucker @manjiroscum @inu1gf @keisaint @ranilingus @mizurimirai @sleepy3 @kuroaka @slut4manjiro @zuuki @qudvxnkanx @manjirosdoll @hirwishin @jjendeku @ushitoshiii @bontens-cum-slut @amaejiki @h-shibas @zorosbozo @savagemickey03 @binglebonglerightonthemoney @horny-inarizaki-stan @mrsvaleska @goldenmnr @semisgroupie @no-name-jack @t-oji @simpforerenn @tonaken @imsatansqueen @imkumichan @saenzu @histarean @mxrga245 @medusalovessnakes @alureasoley @iwaizumisbicepss @jiminjamms @misss-chrisss @crackheadwithtoes @rinsie @winterv-black @scholarlogy @crown5 @bunnozi @ren-simp @haitaniwhor3 .

[dokifluffs]

You’re Safe | Sakusa Kiyoomi

Pairing: Kiyoomi X Reader (female) 

Genre: MAFIA!AU, dad and husbando tehe, fluffy, action? thriller??

Author’s Note: mafia 🤝 protective 🤝 domestic father figure 🤝 SAKUSA

Warnings: k*lling, blood, vivid imagery, LONG, language

gif from @rivaillerose​ 🖤

“Y/N,” a husky voice spoke your name, pulling you from your much needed rest as life of being a new mother had been challenging though so far, it wasn’t anything you couldn’t handle

“Y/N, darling.”

You groaned in your sleep, not wanting to wake, to leave the warmth that you were so comfortable laying in

The edge of the bed shifted as a weight sat down beside you, making your body move toward the person

You brought yourself to open your eyes as heavy as they were, your vision clearing to find your husband sat beside you, his mask pulled down to his chin

The room was gloomy and gray though the curtains were open, not a bit of sunlight shining through as he looked down to you with gentle eyes

Despite his softer side with you, he was still the head of the clan - and his appearance matched him as well

He donned a black wool overcoat with the same colored turtleneck and mask

“What is it, Omi?” You asked sleepily as he cupped your cheek with his black gloved hand

His black gloves were always an accessory he had on him, whether he was wearing them or not

He had a thing with germs but he also saw no need to get his hands dirty when his men were always there to do the job for him

You nuzzled your face into his touch, very tempted to fall asleep holding him close but as your mind woke up more and more, you remembered what today was

What he had to do, where he had to go

“I’m leaving soon.. I’ll be back in a few days..” he whispered as he moved a strand of your hair from your face

You wanted to pretend you didn’t hear these words, that he never told you he had to leave or when he did

A part of you wished he left without telling you but an even greater part was so grateful that he woke you

“Do you really have to go again?” You squeezed his gloved hand as you sat yourself up straighter

“You know how my father is... He wants to make sure things are... under control.. I promise I’ll be back in two days.”

The way he spoke, the words fell so effortlessly from those lips, his voice low and cutting through the space yet he spoke at a volume as if he was telling you a great secret

“You said that last time and he kept you with him for a couple weeks...” you thought back to that time

You were seven months pregnant, almost eight, at the time and it was like he fell off the face of the earth

You couldn’t go anywhere or do anything but reside in the manor and you couldn’t even talk to him

You were alone again

“Don’t go...”

the nights in bed alone, the cramps, emotional rollercoasters, motion sickness, nausea

You at least wished he could have called you

The nightmares you had, the worst case scenarios playing in your head until you woke up with tears streaming down your face, only for you to cry yourself silently back to sleep as fear pooled and plagued you from within

He could see the sadness in your eyes and he could remember vividly the mental torture he was put under

No communication to you and all he could at most to see you was through the hidden cameras all connected to his phone  

Even checking in on you had to be done in secret, all to make sure that he was strong enough to continue on the family business even if he had to lose you or be away for unpredictable amounts of time

It was unbearable then and it was still unbearable now

He never asked to grow up into the business of the underworld, let alone take it over from his father at the prime age of 20 four years ago

He never wanted your life to be taken away when you two had already been together when he was recruited

“I’m sorry, darling, but you know I have to,” he sighed. “You know how my father is.” He cupped your cheek and kissed your temple then lips before he stood

“Am I going to lose you?” Your voice broke the silence, breaking through the white sound of the downpour outside

But you had stopped your question early

“Am I going to lose you today? Tomorrow? One day?”

He stood frozen in his place before he could reach for the knob

“No, Y/N. You won’t.” His eyes paused for a bit on you as he thought about his response, the fatigue of being a mother was already showing. “I’ll be able to call you this time and I’m the head now. The only title my father has to me now is father.”

“You won’t.” He stepped back over to you leaned down to kiss you again. “Not today at least…”

“I’ll call you at supper time, darling. Have a good day.”

You did your best to hold onto his hand as long as you could, to remember his touch, his voice, his scent, the way he looked before he walked out those doors

Because some days or nights, you never truly know if you would ever see him again

And it terrified you

The sound of the rain only seemed to get more intense now that he was gone and you were here

But now your day was beginning now that you were awake

You slipped out of the king sized bed, leaving the warmth you had slept in as the soft carpet at your feet, your toes sinking into the fibers

Brushing your teeth, showering in the grand bathroom of the manor, it was a life you surely never expected but here you were

Kiyoomi’s father and his entire family had built their name from nothing to the global known corporation that it was today

You dried your body off, finding what to wear today through the walk in closet and once that was found, it was breakfast

“Good morning, madam, shall I bring you your breakfast to the master suite?” Your right hand maid had greeted you as you stepped out as she carried the laundry with her

“Oh, thank you, Olivia, but I’ll head down to the kitchen after waking D/N,” you smiled to the older maid that had worked for the Sakusa family for decades

All the staff that worked and lived in the estates on the property outside of the manor were trained security, men and women, whose jobs were to protect the main family, to serve them, and to keep others who would pose a threat away and out, even if it meant killing them

But you always tried not to think or wonder about how many people these staff have killed or beat up or anything whenever you interacted with them, especially when they greeted you with a smile

They were there to protect you and to make sure that nothing and no would would ever harm your life

You stepped into the nursery, the wide room decorated with warm lights and stuffed animals, some more than twice the size of your daughter

“Hi,” you smiled so brightly seeing your baby’s eyes already open, looking up to you as she sat in her crib, holding onto her blankie. “Good morning precious,” you lowered the front gate of the crib so you could kneel down to her level

Sakusa sat in the limousine as he watched the scene of you and your daughter in the nursery, wishing he could just turn the car around and to stay home

Things were in balance, he knew this already but his father’s orders were orders he still had to respect

He clicked off his phone, tucking the device into his pocket as he was to be in the car for quite a bit of time before he would get to his father’s

The biggest smile spread on her face as she laughed seeing you, her bubbliness seeming to make all the gloominess disappear

“Let’s get you changed~” you chimed as you lifted the baby girl into your arms, getting a whiff of her heavy diaper and finding an outfit for her day 

“Olivia?” You called into the custom intercom by the nursery’s closet, though there was practically one in every room

“Yes, madam?”

“Sorry for troubling you, but could you actually bring breakfast for D/N and I up to the upstairs loft? You could even send it up the dumbwaiter and that’s fine too.”

“Of course, would you like the usual?”

“Yes please, thank you.”

You carried your little girl toward the upstairs loft, one of your favorite areas of the house since it was significantly smaller - well almost - than the living room downstairs

The loft didn’t extend all the way downstairs like how the ground floor’s living room ceiling extended to the second floor

More than ten thousand square feet of property, more rooms in the manor than you knew what to do with them

Four guest bedrooms with full bathrooms, a grand study and two story “little” library, two main bedrooms in addition to the master bedroom and a nursery

So much space, all sorts of technologies, gadgets and gizmos of all sorts in the house

All the systems in the house was made by the Sakusa corporation to ensure security

This even included your and Kiyoomi’s custom made phones

There was also the basement- all sorts of fun activities to be done: a pool, pool table, living room area that opened up to the backyard with the bar and barbecue, the fire pit

and finally, there was the cellar that was the only place Kiyoomi had requested that you never go - and you never did 

You knew that look in his eye, that tone of voice and you knew he had requested this for your best

And most importantly, there were three safe rooms, all three upstairs with hidden entryways to protect you, official guests, and anyone in the family

Before you knew it, Olivia had made her way upstairs with the breakfast as you played with your daughter in the loft, bouncing her on your lap sat on the wide couch

The loft was brightly lit and open, toys of all types for your daughter to play with as the TV played the morning kids show

As filled as the house was with the special staff and things to do, it still felt so lonely and empty as you sat there

You had tried to chat and converse with them but they never loosened up, always keeping all the formalities but it was never any use

The storm outside seemed to be getting worse as your eyes gazed to the horizon, spotting the trees at the edge of the estate where all their branches had been swaying in the wind, the paler, underside of their leaves revealed

Thunder began to rumble in the distance with the occasional flash of lightning but both unbothered your daughter and you as the two of you remained in the loft  

You watched as she rolled about on a blanket, playing with her stuffed animals and the other interactive toys that played music to keep her entertained while you watched the TV, finding nothing remotely as entertaining to watch

But just before you could change the channel to yet another disappointing channel, your attention was pulled to your phone vibrating beside you, your eyes lighting up as you saw the caller ID

“You seem so bored,” Kiyoomi’s deep voice sounded through the phone but he spoke the truth

You were tired and bored but you didn’t want to sleep - it would only make you unable to sleep later tonight anyways

“I am,” you sighed as you muted the TV. “How far out have you gone?”

“Actually, not too far. Only about half an hour since there was a major accident on the highway so we had to take a detour. But traffic is terrible so we were stuck for quite a bit before we could actually exit,” Sakusa almost groaned thinking about the terrible accident

How he was stuck in a single place for practically twenty minutes

“Wow, do you know what happened?”

“Well there was a…” his voice drowned out in your ears as you could hear something that didn’t sound like rain or thunder - they were too distinctly different

Loud bangs echoed in the distance, bringing your attention elsewhere though all you could look was outside the wall window to the dark skies  

But you couldn’t see anything except the normal background of the property but it was just silent again with the white noise of rain washing down the glass, followed by thunder and a flash of lightning as the storm brewed closer and closer

“I’m sorry what? I missed what you said... I think I heard… something weird..” you spoke as you looked outside the windows that looked to the back of the property

You could hear echoes of movement downstairs, the bustling business of the special staff in the house but it sounded standard... or so you thought

“What did you hear?”

“..I don’t know.. maybe it was the storm and I’m just distracted...” you smiled into the phone as you spoke while your daughter happily crawled to you, laying her head on your legs, her puffy cheeks round as ever

“Well, you two were my only source of entertainment so far this trip,” the corner of his lips curled as he picked off small specks off his suit

“That makes one… of us-“ your thought died out in a matter of seconds

You heard louder, clearer bangs while the staff that had been stationed with you just outside the loft talked over their ear coms to another elsewhere

Before you could continue your sentence or call, the bangs only got louder and your body reacted faster than you could say or think

Clear gunshots began firing at the front entrance, echoing off the high walls and ceilings of the manor while the staff worked on securing the doors and all other entrances and possible ones

“Y/N?” Sakusa could only hear the subtle commotion happening but it was clear you weren’t on the phone. “Shit shit shit..” he stayed on the line as he changed to the security cameras he had access to he used to watch you and your guys’ daughter

Looking through the camera surveillance, he caught a glimpse of you disappearing with your phone in hand while your arms carried your daughter as you disappeared toward the bedroom

“Turn back now,” Kiyoomi howled as his driver did just that, not wasting a single second

You ran into the master suite’s walk in closet that led to the entryway of one of the safe rooms, your baby girl in your arms as she held on to you  her whines already beginning before they would turn into cries

“Shh, it’s okay, baby, mama’s gonna protect you,” you smiled, whispering, your voice already shaky, lips trembling as you pressed a little kiss to the top of her head. “Even if it costs my life, precious.”

You moved, leaving the master suite and stayed low as you walked across the “bridge” that connected the loft to the other half of the house

Peeking down, you could hear groans of agony, puddles and splashes of of blood on the floor and walls, empty bullet shells on the ground, shards of glass and broken windows

“Search the house, find that bitch,” a deep voice yelled through the manor as for the first time since the loud bangs happened, it sounded so still, like any normal rainy day

But this was far from normal

You crawled across the marble flooring toward the library

There wasn’t any safe room here but the safe rooms were sure to be where they would look, whoever they were

They were able to get through the security, it seemed like the staff was dead

You silently stood as they scoured the lower levels - you could hear them and all the destruction they were havocking

The cars outside the window blurred into mere colors that passed as the limousine sped through the roads back towards the manor

To save time, they went toward the back roads — it was just the slightest bit longer but time could be shaved down since there were no cars anywhere

“Step on it!” Sakusa commanded as his men readied themselves. “Call in Unit 0,” he demanded as he kept his eyes on the cameras, trying to find you yet he couldn’t see you in the master suite’s safe room

Unit 0 being one of the few very highly trained professional assassins and killers who were at the disposal of the Sakusa family whenever needed

He scoured through the cameras, not even caring about all the destruction being done, all he needed to see was where you and your daughter were

You carefully entered the library, shutting the door behind you as you walked over the wooden floors carefully

Every step made your palms sweaty but your heart stopped after hearing a loud creak in the old floors

The worst part was that there was no way to lock the doors

outside of the door, you couldn’t hear too much but you could still clearly hear the storm as a great big window stretched from the floor to ceiling so all the lighting in here was natural

There was something about the walls surrounding the library that made it sound proof in a sense

You constantly bounced your baby girl in your arms to keep her calm as you tried to get a look outside as you approached one of the corners toward the window

“Search upstairs,” one of the men demanded as a handful of men ran upstairs. “Find her.”

The scoured through all the rooms, flipping every room apart, destroying things, tearing the curtains off, flipping the beds, wrecking the nursery

You peeked out the window that faced the front of the manor yet all you could see were broken things and to your horror, more lifeless bodies of the manor’s staff

But before you could look out any longer, a large rock was launched at the window, breaking the glass, shattering it

Your baby girl let out a loud cry in fear, making your heart drop

“No, D/N, shhhh, please, it’ll be okay, we’ll be okay.” You quickly pulled open the latch to the library’s hidden passage where the door was one of the bookcases

As soon as you closed the bookcase, you heard the door to the library burst open

Several men, guns ready

You scanned your finger print for the room to be safely locked however it wouldn’t let you. All you could do to make sure the room was locked was to see your body to keep the door shut and still

They walked through the wide open doorway to the library scanning the two open floors that was connected by two black steel staircases that wound their way up and down, connecting the two floors

“Shh, please,” you whimpered to your daughter as she cried into your chest as you stayed by the passage’s door so you could look out the peephole

They pulled books off the shelves, throwing them from the second level to the first, knocking the paintings off the walls, ripping them by sliding their knives through the canvas’, kicking them, breaking the frames

The ground shook as you heard a a loud boom, making you jump in your spot, the ground rumbling and shaking below where you sat

It sounded like a bomb went off on the lower level but you assumed it was the cars in the garage since you could hear the repeating alarm sounding off

Your daughters cries began to start back up at the loud noise, as you did your best to shush her

“Shhh, it’s okay,” you whispered to her as you wiped her tears, keeping her face to your chest as you stroked your trembling hand down her back as tears trickled down your cheeks and dripped off your chin

The limousine slid on the gravel outside the manor as Sakusa’s men sprang to action from the vehicle

Kiyoomi stayed in his seat, continuously scouring through the cameras but you were yet to be found

He couldn’t find a single trace of you

His men, as well as unit 0, entered through the blown open entrance, broken shards of glass crunching beneath their steps as they surrounded the estate the best they could, splitting up to eliminate the intruders

“Where are you, Y/N?” His heart hammered in his chest as he desperately tried to find you yet nothing

But before he could look any further, his heart dropped seeing the red system failure message. Whoever these people were, they were impressive, but not fast enough

Kiyoomi now meant business now that he had no access to actually see if you were okay

He ran out of the limousine as gunshots could be heard all throughout the house as half his men made their way to the upper level while the other half wiped out the intruders on the lower level

He followed behind unit 0, making their way upstairs

He clung onto his gun tightly in his hand, finger ready on the trigger as he barged into the master suite, firing two bullets into the chest and head of a large man as he was pillaging the closets

All the precious jewelry he bought for you were now stained in the pool of the filthy blood of the man who had the audacity to enter the premises

His heart almost dropped seeing him in the closet in the first place but it didn’t seem like the man noticed the entrance to the safe room behind the clothes on the hangers

As he pushed the luxurious wardrobe aside opening the door and to his fear, you were nowhere to be seen

More gunshots sounded off, echoing through the halls, sounding off the walls

He couldn’t focus, his thoughts incoherent, unfinished sentences running in his head as he just ran, killing those in his way to find you

A gun war was going off throughout the library as Sakusa’s men fired at the intruders on both levels but they had great firepower too

Both sides hid behind the marble pillars, the different bookshelves and furniture in the room as the rain showered in

Your baby girl cried loudly, her shaken cries sounding off throughout the passage

“No, no, no, please, baby.” Your heart raced as you dared to look out the peephole, only for it to drop as you saw a man you didn’t recognize yell something to another man near him

The man he yelled to fired more shots while the other one approached the passage entrance, banging noises coming through the bookshelf

“She’s in here! Hold them off!” The man yelled

“No, no, no.” Tears welled in your eyes as you did your best to keep the door closed but there was no actual way to since this was just a simple passageway

Your daughter cried loudly in your arms while you gave it your all to keep the door closed

Amongst all the shots being fired, Kiyoomi heard the words the man yelled and then it clicked

He knew where you were

“No.” This one word repeated in his head as he pushed through the front, racing past the bullets being shot towards him as he ran on pure adrenaline

“Boss, no!” His men yelled but this only got the intruders to focus on him, giving them the opening to shoot them all

Kiyoomi shot the man closer to him in the legs before letting his body move on pure killer instinct as he grabbed the man who had fallen to his knees by his jaw, snapping his neck

The other man changed his focus to Kiyoomi as he stood to his feet while the other struggled to pull his gun from his holster

Kiyoomi towered over him as his body moved on his own

He kicked the man to the wall, pressing the barrel of his gun to the man’s chin, pulling the trigger without a second thought

You squeeze your eyes shut, facing the other way from the door, bracing yourself

“I love you. Mama loves you, baby,” you whispered as you cried, a loud rumbling filling your ears as you felt the door being forced open

This was it

You were going to die

Your daughter was doing to die

you let out a blood curtling scream feeling the hands of whoever grab onto you, pulling you, kicking your legs to try to fight 

“Y/N, Y/N, Y/N!” Kiyoomi’s familiar voice sounded louder and louder over the rumbling you heard in your ears from clenching and bracing your body and your daughter’s

“It’s me, It’s just me!” He soothed you as he turned you

You couldn’t explain or even begin to describe the relief you felt wash through your body, your heart racing and slowing down at the same time as you broke down, your cries mixing with your daughter’s

“You’re safe, I’m here,” Kiyoomi pulled you into his arms, your body shaking terribly in his arms as you cried into his chest, all the fear you felt flooding your senses

“I know, I’m sorry this happened, but you’re okay. Everything will be okay,” he whispered as he pulled you into his lap, keeping the passage door somewhat closed

You were already put through enough today and he didn’t need you to see the second degree murder crime scene he had committed right outside

“I’m here, I’m here.” He reached up and pulled his mask off as he kissed the top of your head all over, wiping away your tears with his thumbs but you couldn’t stop crying

But that was entirely fine

“But Y/N,” he held your face in his bare hands, his normal gloves off as he stroked his thumb over your cold, damp cheeks

“Why didn’t you go into the safe rooms, darling?” His own voice was unsteady, his lips quivered, eyes teary. “I looked for you and I couldn’t find you and I thought I lost you..” His voice broke off as he gathered himself the best he could, taking deep breaths

Seeing Kiyoomi like this, it broke your heart even more

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what… I was just scared and- and-“ It hurt you so much

Everything about today did

But just this moment was Kiyoomi, it also touched you

He was such a stoic man, usually one to show a softer, affectionate side with you but this was the first time you saw him shed tears

A man who had taken so many lives was now showing his true emotions for the two lives he would give his own live for a hundred times over if it meant you and your daughter was okay

“I know, I know, but you’re safe,” he let out a deep, relieving breath as he hugged your head closer, your body shaking uncontrollably in his arms

“And hey, shhh, it’s okay baby. Papa’s here.” He stroked your daughter’s head as she sort of calmed down as the two of you sat together, doing your best as parents to shoo away her sadness while his men did their best to first and foremost clear the bodies and blood

You absolutely did not need to see that after today

“You two are both safe.” He breathed as he pulled you two impossibly closer, letting the shakiness of his own heart disperse  

“You’re safe…”

~~~~~ Thanks for reading! Masterlist for more! Please do not repost anywhere else! 

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[galacticgraffiti]

Hello Gala!!!! I had a Daddy Din Thot... Imagine thingy.....

You're back at the ship, Din has been on an extended mission and had you holding down the fort. It's taking longer than expected, and he uses his comm to check in on you each day he can just to make sure you and grogu are all good.

You've been really high strung libido in use lately, especially with his voice in your ear every day, and have had some heavy fantasies.

He comms in the check in on you two, he asks a question and without any thought at all (thanks to your fantasies) you call him Daddy instead of Din or Mando.

He gets back to you at the ship in an impossible time to show you exactly what calling him that did to him

This prompt is half a fic already and i am LOVING it. That is an exquisite Thot my darling, thank you for bringing it to me! ♡

Warnings: daddy kink, accidental reveal of said kink (again! but it's so delicious), female masturbation, imagined dirty talk, actual dirty talk, tiniest sprinkle of angst, but mostly just fluffy-ish smut I promise

!!! NSFW/18+ !!!

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You sigh and rearrange the munition stacks for the seventh time. Din has been gone for far too long, but this planet is not exactly friendly or safe, so he has warned you to leave the ship. He didn't exactly forbid you... but you trust his judgement. Well, you trust his judgement except when it comes to the duration of hunts.

"I'll be back in a day or two at most," he had said. That was a week and seventeen hours ago. You don't worry too much about him, he checks in every day, but that does not mean you don't miss him.

You miss him in the pilot's seat, his thick legs spread wide when he lets the autopilot take over. You miss him standing in the tiny kitchen area, his broad shoulders taking up so much space that it is impossible to do anything without touching him. You miss his little one word answers to your long-winded stories that nonetheless somehow always manage to convey that he cares and likes to listen to you. You miss not always having to be the one that has to get up when Grogu cries in the night.

And you miss Din fucking you, Gods, you miss it more than anything. Every night you miss him when it's only your own fingers inside your aching pussy. They get the job done but it's just not the same. Every night he calls you and you listen to his rumbling, deliciously raspy voice. Sometimes he has time to talk you through it and even though nothing compares to the feeling of him inside you, it is at least more satisfying than using only your imagination as you make yourself come.

But the past two days, Din's check ins have been short - sweet, but short. Apparently he is staking out his target's hideout. The bounty is a quite skilled tradesman involved in many shady underworld dealings as far as you know, so the hunt was never going to be easy. Neither you nor Din had expected it to take quite this long though.

It's late in the afternoon, almost night. Grogu is sleeping, having tired himself out from floating things around that you had just arranged into neat stacks and piles, and even though it was annoying in the moment, at least he is sleeping now.

Tension has pent up from being alone for so long. You don't know how you managed before Din came along- he is insatiable and since you've met him, so are you. But that just makes it worse when he is gone. You groan in frustration and set the munitions aside, deciding to take a shower and wash off the remnants of an earlier... accident with Grogu.

Din's voice resounds in your head when the water is running down your body, as vibrant as if he was standing right next to you. Oh sweet girl, you just can't leave it, can you? Can't live even one day without my cock filling up your pretty pussy, without you getting on your knees for me. That's it, touch yourself for me, let me hear those pretty sounds you make when I suck on your tits...

You would give anything to have him here with you right now, to at least hear his actual voice on the comm, but instead your mind slips deeper into the gutter as you lather yourself up, hands grazing over your stiff nipples, feeling the curve of your own ass like you know Din would if he was here. When you slip your fingers inside your aching pussy with closed eyes it's almost like you can hear him whisper filth into your ear.

There you go, pretty girl, work yourself open for me as you wait. You know I can't wait to get home to you, touch you, fucking fill you up and make you beg for more. Is that what you want, sweet girl? You want daddy to-

Fuck. You stop yourself, ripping your fingers away from your clit. Don't call him that. Not even in your fantasies, it's too risky. You have not worked up the nerve to ask him if he would be into it, it's all still too fresh, too new, and you are too unsure to dip your toes into that quite yet.

After the accidental slip up, you can't get in the mood again, too stressed out by your own mind, so you just rinse off, rub yourself dry with a fluffy towel and slip into one of Din's shirts. It's one of the few luxuries you allow yourself- to steal his clothes, breathe in his scent while he is gone. Maybe you shouldn't, especially not in your already worked up, frustrated state. The pleasure you denied yourself lingers at the edge of your mind and it just gets worse when you inhale him with each breath, but you can't bring yourself to get one of your boring shirts, you want his. You want him.

You busy yourself in the kitchen to make a snack, and just as you sit down with the steaming bowl, your comm chimes. You scramble off your seat and hastily fish it out of the pile you wanted to organise earlier, grateful for the shrill sound and blinking light that alert you of its whereabouts.

"Din?" you breathe when you finally push the button.

"Hello, sweet girl," he mumbles, and you can tell from his tone that he is tired.

"Baby, have you slept?" you ask, chewing on your bottom lip with worry. "I know it's hard and you need to stay on alert when you're on a hunt, but you have to sleep."

"I did sleep," Din grumbles, then adds, so quietly that you almost don't hear it, "...two days ago."

"Din!" You stamp your foot. "It's not healthy. You can't keep doing this, one day it won't work out and what am I gonna do then, hm? Nurse you back to health while I care for the baby as well?"

Din chuckles a little when he answers.

"Even in your worst case scenario I don't die. That's reassuring."

"Hmph."

"But what about you?" he suddenly asks. "Have you eaten?"

"Yes," you mumble. "I was just about to. Had to take a shower after your son decided to empty Gods know what over my hand. The whole ship is dusty. But... well. I guess that at least gives me something to do until you're back. I... I miss you."

"I miss you too." Din sighs deeply. "Can't wait for this fucking hunt to be over and put this shabuir in carbonite. I wanna put my hands on you, pretty girl, wanna touch you all over. You're so soft, everything about you and... I miss you out here."

Your breath comes faster as it always does when he starts talking like this and you can feel your heart beat in your throat.

"What would you want to do to me?"

"Ah," Din chuckles darkly. "Listen how eager you get. You gonna touch yourself to my voice telling you all the things I want to do to you once I get back home, sweet girl?"

"Hm-hm," you press out, one of your hands already slipping under the waistband of your panties to press your fingers against your clit. "I'm already so fucking wet, Din, I... I touched myself in the shower earlier."

"Oh you did, did you? Fucking greedy girl, you can't wait until I get home and fuck you stupid, can you? Touching yourself to the sound of my voice, the memory of me splitting you open on my cock... osik, I can't wait to feel your pretty little pussy squeeze me when I make you come. Can't wait to bury my face in you, smell you, taste you. My own perfect little slice of heaven waiting for me when I get home."

His voice is a bit strained and you wonder if he is rutting against something, just as desperate as you are. Your hand moves faster, crackles of pleasure erupting throughout your body when Din goes on.

"Gonna eat you out for hours, sweetheart, turn off all the lights and make you sit on my face until you can't sit upright anymore, you want that? You wanna come in my mouth, pretty girl?"

"Yes daddy!" you cry out and then everything happens at once- your cunt contracts as your sudden orgasm washes over you, your legs shake with the image of his tongue buried inside your dripping cunt. With some delay you register the silence on the other end of the comm but your pleasure-hazy mind can't make sense of it until-

"What did you just call me?"

You frown and think, your thoughts clouded over with little lingering aftershocks of bliss and then- it hits you. Daddy. Oh no, oh fuck you did not- you couldn't possibly have-

You put your flushed face in your hands and say nothing. What could you possibly say? The comm stays quiet for what feels like an eternity but is probably just minutes. There is a strange sound on the other end, it seems familiar but you can't quite place it.

"Are you still there?" Din's tone tells you absolutely fucking nothing, his breathing seems oddly laboured but you can't think of why...

"Hm-hm," you confirm quietly, your cheeks burning with shame.

"Good. Open the ramp."

"What?" you sit up, blinking away tears of shame as you properly register Din's words.

"Open the ramp for me, sweetheart."

Open... for him? You are still not quite grasping what he means but he sounds urgent and so you hasten to the control panel and push the button for the ship's main ramp. Before it even touches the ground, you hear the familiar burn of the jetpack - that was the sound! You spin around just as Din's heavy boots touch the metal floor and jump into his arms. He doesn't stumble, doesn't even step back, he just catches you in his strong arms and presses his helmet to the side of your neck.

"What are you doing here?" you whisper, hanging onto him like you would float away if he let you go. Maybe you would.

"Wanted to take care of you," he mumbles, pulling back to stare at you through his visor, one hand digging into the flesh of your ass to hold you up while the other gently strokes your cheek.

"What about the bounty?"

"Doesn't matter," he shrugs. "Not when my princess needs daddy to take care of her. And you do, don't you? That's what you said. You need daddy to take care of you, sweetheart?"

You shudder and stare back at him, mouth slightly agape. You gather your courage before you start to speak, stumbling over your words.

"I thought I'd scared you away, I was so- was so afraid you wouldn't- I didn't mean to-"

"Scare me away?" Din interrupts you gently. "Don't worry, sweet girl, you didn't. You really, really didn't."

The worry that has been weighing down on your chest is lifted by his words and when Din presses you against the wall, one thick thigh slotted between your legs and you feel the hardness of his cock against your hip, the last traces of anxiety vanish.

"Now," he hums. "You gonna let daddy take care of you, sweetheart?"

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